


Sworn to the Sword

by Nuke



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Horses... lots of horses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-01-04 07:58:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 29,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12164751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nuke/pseuds/Nuke
Summary: A young woman named Nuke, growing up in a small town, winds up scattered across worlds due to the trickery of a Minish-turned-sorcerer. After a good few years of shutting herself off from people as she desperately tried to find her way home, she found companionship in the spirit of a sword. This, too, ended, as her reluctant journey continued. However, she now had a new goal, and a new home in mind. Seeking both her beloved spirit guardian and the trickster who threw her life into chaos, she winds up in a world nothing like any of the others she had seen. These are their stories *SVU guy pose*





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. This is my first time posting writing in places other than Subeta in at least a year. This time I'm making a bad decision and posting my Zelda self-insert fanfiction, which I've been developing for a long, fun time, but only recently started to write down at the point of the most recent "chapter". I don't know if people even read OC/self-insert stuff, but I don't really care. It's all I write anymore and it's fun. So. Well, here you go.
> 
> Note: contains a lot of dumb horse content
> 
> Apologies for spelling/grammar/continuity errors. If you catch any go ahead and point them out. I'm 100 years old and tired so I don't notice them. Thanks!

    Something struck me as I peered over the edge of that cliff. The landscape unfolded in my vision, painted gold by the rising sun. I saw fields that stretched to the lightening horizon, lined by mountains that scratched the sky. Everything was calm as the sun lifted higher.  
    To my east, a cool wind blew. In the distance I could see more mountains, flanked by a river. Not knowing where else to go, I decided to head that way, toward the sun.  
    The monsters didn't bother me. They were scarce in this very quiet world. I followed the river on its rocky, sloped bank. Outcroppings of rock rose up and hung over the water, which flowed slowly. I stopped once in a while to take a drink. It was beyond refreshing.  
    Soon, signs of civilization appeared. There were ornate lanterns made of blue stone along the "path" by the river that were becoming more frequent. Soon they were joined by bridges that allowed me to cross the river back and forth when the rocks became too slippery to climb.  
    Once in a while, I heard a splash in the water nearby, but when I turned to see the source, it was gone.  
    I had been hiking for several hours when I decided to stop and rest as I came to a wide bridge. It looked well taken care of, so I knew I must have been getting close to some kind of civilization. I threw my pack to the ground and started up a tiny fire to cook up the fish I had speared on the way.  
    I was almost done with my meal when I heard the same suspicious splash again.  
    I set my fish down and rolled my eyes. "If you're a monster, put away your cowardice and come face me."  
    Silence.  
    "...And if you're a friend, do the same. I promise I won't attack if you're unarmed."  
    A long pause before I heard another splash.  
    "I'm sorry," A voice rang out from below the bridge. "I'm not unarmed, but I'll come up without my sword drawn!"  
    "Okay." I responded, amused.  
    In a flash the figure leaped out of the water and stood before me. More accurately, he towered. My gaze went up and up until I finally saw his face, which was at least three feet above mine.  
    I stared.  
    His large yellow eyes beamed down at me from above a wide grin of pointed teeth. I knew immediately that he was a Zora, but his size was something new. "Hello there!" His red coloring was also different. As was his accent. His body was ornamented and regal-looking.  
    I kept staring. I still wasn't quite over his height, which was exaggerated by my sitting position.  
    "Oh, pardon me." He frowned and promptly copied my position, his shorter-than-average legs crossed. Despite having sat down, he was still much taller than me. From the other wall of the bridge, he smiled at me. "I know my height can be a little intimidating to Hylians."  
    I gathered my composure and let my guard down finally. I returned his charming smile. "Hello there, mister Zora."  
    He waved cheerfully, smiling wider. "Hello, miss Hylian! It has been a while since I've seen one of your kind up here!"  
    I took another bite of my fish. "I haven't seen a Zora in a while, either. Is your city farther up this way?"  
    "Oh, not too much farther at all!" He spread his arms and his eyes somehow got even larger. "You've come a long way so quickly. Of course, there _are_ less monsters now, but it's still a daunting climb!"  
    I raised an eyebrow. "You seem way too impressed."  
    He sprang to his feet and took a few steps to loom over me. "I am always very impressed to see a Hylian! My people are so secluded all the way up here. Come, won't you join me and find a more comfortable place to enjoy your meal?"  
    I finished up the fish I was picking at and tossed the bones over my shoulder. "Um, sure." I stood up and stretched, dusting off my backside even though it didn't need it. "I'd like to see this world's Zora city."  
    He cocked his head. "...This world's? What other worlds would it reside in?"  
    I felt myself blush and I recoiled. "Oh um, sorry. Weird choice of words. I just meant, in general, I'd like to see it."  
    He got over it quickly. "Oh, where are my manners. I have yet to introduce myself." He struck out his arms again. "I am Prince Sidon of the Zora people. Allow me to introduce you to our territory and give you a welcome worthy of a Hylian hero!"  
   _Prince._  
    I let out a gasp and dropped to one knee, shaking, staring at the ground. "Ah, please forgive me, Your Highness. I didn't know you were a prince."  
    Sidon flat-out laughed at me and placed hands on my shoulders. "There is no need for that, Miss Hylian!" He lifted me to my feet without much effort. "Please consider me your equal!"  
    Still quivering, I looked up at him. His smile was overly friendly and goofy. He definitely _looked_ the part of prince, but his behavior was so loose he completely disarmed me. In a way, it was refreshing.  
    "Come now!" Somehow able to hold onto my hand despite our height difference, he started tugging me along the bridge. "You must meet my father. He loves to see Hylians!"  
    I gathered my pack as I was hurried along, totally confused. Of all the Zoras to run in to...  
  
    "Oh Sidon, give the poor girl some space." The Zora king's booming voice somehow filled the room despite its lack of walls. "She's obviously shaken."  
    "Just a little confused." I waved my hands dismissively as Sidon kept pushing me toward the throne in front of us. "I guess I uh, haven't been treated this kindly before."  
    "Well you certainly deserve it!" Sidon's voice sang from behind me. "You're Hylian and you carry a sword. Clearly you're a hero!"  
    The king sighed and massaged his brow with one hand. "Sidon, my son. You treated Master Link this way, and he was never able to relax. Please let this girl- um, what was your name, my dear?"  
    "Oh my goodness!" Sidon straightened himself so fast he bounced off the ground. He leaned back over me and pushed his forehead against the side of my head. "I never asked your name! Again, Miss Hylian, I must apologize deeply!"  
   _"Sidon!"_  
    The command was strong and Sidon was jolted to attention. He pulled away and stood rigidly beside me, silent.  
    "Give her _space_ ," The kind sounded exasperated. "And allow her to speak for herself."  
    My heart was pounding from the oddness of it all. It was funny. "Um," I laughed nervously and cleared my throat. "Call me Nuke. I'm... not really from around here."  
  
    Despite his father's scolding, the prince wouldn't leave me alone. I didn't mind though, after he had calmed down a little. He trotted beside me as I headed to my designated quarters.  
    "Are you from another world?" Quickly he had become accepting of the idea. "Anything is possible in this land of strangeness. Why, my friend Link - and he is a _very good_ friend of mine - was asleep for one hundred years before coming to visit again! Is that not fascinating? He looked the same, too, as if Hylians aged like Zoras! Which of course, they don't! It was the strangest thing!"  
    I could only smile as he chatted my ear off. We finally reached the open room containing a neatly made bed, which I threw my belongings onto in a less organized fashion. I took a seat and was a little surprised at its softness.  
    Sidon kneeled in front of the bed, facing me, still having to look down to make eye contact. "I watched you as you made your way here. You weren't bothered by the Lizalfos, and you're very skilled at fishing. You remind me very  much of Link!"  
    I didn't bother asking about this other Hylian "friend". I was a bit interested, but not in his entire life story from beginning to present. Sidon's friendliness was just on the edge of off-putting, but was nestled comfortably in "adorable" territory.  
  
    After Sidon got called away for what I assumed were princely duties (or at least the King trying to give me a moment's peace), I started exploring the city and meeting the people.  
    They were just as excited to see another Hylian, but were able to contain their energy much better than their prince. I learned that they all absolutely adored him, and I wasn't surprised - having someone so enthusiastic about, well, everything, was sure to keep up morale.  
    The city was well-organized and the people were happy. They all spoke of how calm things had become since Vah Ruta had its control regained, and the Dark Lord Ganon had been defeated. I just sort of smiled and nodded as I was told all of these things I didn't understand.  
    Eventually a Zora child pointed me to a mountain in the distance. "Vah Ruta is up there," she squeaked. "It protects us."  
    That night, Sidon returned to me and answered my questions about the mysterious guardian. Together we climbed a high lookout spire, and he directed my attention to where the child had pointed earlier.  
    I was shocked at what I saw. It was far in the distance but I could still barely comprehend its size.  
    "That is our guardian Divine Beast, Vah Ruta." Sidon explained. "It's a massive, living structure of magical power that watches over us and protects us from any forces that dare to threaten us."  
    It sure was a _structure_. It looked almost like an animal, though not one I had seen before. Once in a while it moved and even more rarely, it made a sound. The noise, I learned, happened at dawn and dusk to signal the beginning and ending of another day. As the sun set I heard it for the first time.  
    Well, more accurately, I _experienced_ it. The beast roared and shook the entire city, maybe even the mountain. I actually fell over when I heard it, to which Sidon laughed and helped me up carefully.  
    "It is not usually that loud. It must also be excited to see another Hylian!"  
  
    Sidon had gotten very used to my company, and spent as much time as he could at my side. After a week or so, he had run out of preliminary excitement and reverted to what assumed was his "normal" self.  
    I, in turn, had become comfortable in the Zora city. The children loved to watch me practice my archery, and I even taught a few how to shoot. They delighted in their new method of catching fish. Several of them started to get curious, asking me why I spent so much time with Sidon. I was able to brush the comments off until one tiny Zora chirped at me,  
    "Are you going to be his wife?"  
    I felt almost ashamed at my lack of immediate denial.  
    But one day, Sidon made a grave mistake. While talking about the Hyrule we currently lived in, he uttered a word that snapped me back to my original self, the self I always came back to. It was the self that tore me away from every place I had tried to settle down in, even Aboda Village.  
    Sidon told me about this Hyrule's wild horses.  
    "They're beautiful." He clasped his hands together and his eyes fluttered out at the horizon as we watched the setting sun together on a cliff. "Sometimes I venture far down the river, just to catch a glimpse. I've watched herds grow and shrink and I've picked out favorites."  
    I was speechless for a minute. I hadn't talked about horses in however many months since even before coming to this world, and I hadn't seen any on my trip to the Domain, somehow.  
    "Oh, but the monsters have them, sometimes."  
    I snapped to his undivided attention.  
    He noticed, and frowned. "I'm sure they're not abused. But to see them being ridden by monsters... Something about it boils me from the inside!"  
    I clenched a fist.  
    A smile crept across Sidon's face. "I'm no fool, Lady Nuke." He had adopted the nickname I'd acquired from his adoring people. "I hear you talk in your sleep of thundering hooves across the prairie."  
    I was immediately embarrassed. Often I was told it was a childish thing to be enchanted by horses in particular. I knew a good few people who saw them just as tools, for traveling or work in the fields. Of course they could be that, I knew, but they were something else. Just like dogs, I tried to tell people, they can be such wonderful companions! Only a few believed me.  
    Sidon believed me. After he mentioned the horses I couldn't stop telling him of my love for them. I'd never had one of my own, even back in my home village. But oh, how I'd pined.  
    "Your eyes are shining like I've never seen before." He told me one night, another sunset we were sharing. "I know your heart is aching to run wild."  
    I sheepishly shrunk back into my blue cloak that had been crafted for me so lovingly by the seamstress. It was decorated with traditional Zora markings, lined with delicate silver thread. I wrapped it around myself despite the temperate air. "You can see right through me."  
    "Of course." With a clawed finger he poked at my forehead very gently. "In these two moons I've never had trouble with it."


	2. Chapter 2

    I tried to leave abruptly one morning, before the sun was peeking over Mt. Lanayru. I had packed all of my things, and was contemplating leaving my cloak, when he appeared in the always-open doorway.  
    "I hope you would not leave without saying goodbye." He wasn't looking at me.  
    "...Of course not." I lied, shuffling the cloak onto my shoulders and walking toward him. I tried to walk by.  
    He stopped me by putting a hand gently on my head. "At least allow the little ones to fix your hair one last time."  
    I couldn't say no.  
    I stayed for the morning meal and said an official goodbye to everyone. Despite my stubbornness, I was glad I did. As I ate and chatted, the aforementioned little ones were busy braiding metal rings and stones into my hair. They had become so fascinated by it, since they had none of their own. They told me they loved how it shone like gold in the sun despite being light brown. It was soft and so much fun to decorate, they said. They way they tied it that final morning made sure to keep it out of my eyes as I ventured to wherever my heart pulled me.  
    It was hard to say goodbye to all of them, and of course I cried as I bid my final farewells. Sidon was nowhere to be found as I headed down the long bridge and out of the city, adorned with several new pieces of jewelry and other accessories I had been bestowed at the last minute.  
  
    "I do have one last thing for you." Sidon's voice came from the river I walked beside, right at the end, only a few feet from the official border of Zora territory.  
    When he climbed out of the water I followed him to a particularly large rock. I marveled at the glimmering silver chest he pulled out from behind it and lifted the lid to peer inside.  
    "I've been crafting it for some time."  
    I lifted it out and held it in my hands, rubbing my fingers over the material.  
    "Ever since I first heard you mention horses in your dreams, I thought of a topical gift for you."  
    It was a rope of very high quality. Braided leather with blue and silver Zora adornments at one end. The other end was fashioned into a lasso loop. I smiled at it proudly, then up at the beaming prince.  
    "I hope it finds good use in your hands." Gently he took it from me and began to fasten it around me.  
    I murmured a bashful thanks and held his hand for a moment when he'd finished. My eyes stayed fixed on the river.  
    "Please take care, Nuke." For the first time, Sidon's voice was somber and low. "And do visit us again. I know the children will want to see you."  
    We didn't share any more words. Quietly he stepped to the river and dove into it, disappearing. An invisible fog seemed to hang over the area.  
    I lifted my gaze to the field that stretched out in front of me, one hand clutching the rope. I could still feel the prickling of Sidon's claws as I took steps forward and kept moving past the gray rocks and slick riverbank. Even after hearing a familiar splash, I didn't look back.  
  
    The amount of grass almost startled me. For so long the only thing beneath my feet had been stone or water - I had become a _very_ good swimmer during my time with the Zora - so I was almost unsure of my footing.  
    Very quickly though, my body remembered. Every step was solid and muted with the quiet sound of grass and dirt. I shifted my pack, heavy with supplies, to rest on both my shoulders evenly beneath my cloak. The sun was high in the sky as I headed west out of the Lanayru region toward I had no idea where.  
    The road was long and uneventful. My only companions outside my thoughts were birds and the occasional curious fox. I ignored them all as I had plenty of food, but after a whole afternoon of walking, I settled down by a lone tree to eat and rest.  
    One such fox actually approached me, its orange fur gleaming in the afternoon sun.  
    I tossed it a tiny piece of fish, laughing when it flinched and sprang into the air. I had always liked foxes, the silly, skittish little things that they were. To my admitted dismay, it ran once it had taken the food.  
    I decided to stay at the large tree for the night. The field stretched out around me in every direction, and I couldn't guarantee any other shelter. Using a fun combination of my rope and cloak, I made up a sort of hammock in the higher branches. When I settled into it as the sun sank low, I was hit with a pang of memory.  
    Or was it a dream? Had I fallen asleep?  
    I remembered a similar tree that acted as my home for a good few lonely nights. Just thinking about its oddly-splayed branches made me uncomfortable. I'd woken up every day with a sore neck and back, complaining and cursing the damn thing for being so... tree-like.  
    But my comfort returned when I thought of that blue glow.  
  
    My eyes snapped open and were greeted with darkness just barely starting to fade to light. I knew it was the latter half of the night after glancing at the position of the stars. Mumbling some barely-audible complaints, I gathered my makeshift hammock and descended the tree. Whether I liked it or not, I was awake.  
    When I hit the ground I remembered why I had been wandering in the first place. I bit my lip with indignation and offered a curse to the sky. Already in this world I had heard so many praising Hylia's name. I didn't dare reveal my thoughts on the proclaimed goddess. After the things she had put me through, I doubted anyone could have held her in any sort of favor.  
    I stomped on with the sunrise at my back, angry again. This world seemed so huge, sprawling but mostly quiet. At least continual noise could be followed, but this calm... _irritated_ me.  
    I was overjoyed to find my first monster. Just some bokoblin that was easily dispatched with my trusty sword, but it still made me feel alive. I gathered what I could once it disappeared in that familiar puff of smoke. Most of the monsters seemed armed in this world, which worked well for travelers without any money. There had been a small pack of them, and I walked away from the encounter with a light spear and a couple rupees.  
    Unlike many of the worlds I had traversed, this one had a main road of sorts. Of course it was absolutely deserted, but it was fun to follow. That was where most of the monsters lurked, waiting for travelers I assumed existed.  
    When the sun reached near the top of my head, I found a large hill. I scampered up the side of it on all fours, planning to climb the tree atop it to get a better view of my surroundings.  
    I never made it to the tree. At the top of the hill I stood, struck dumb by what I found.  
    At the base of the hill, I saw them. There were only a couple, maybe four, tiny little dots of dark color among an endlessly flowing green sea.  
    A quiet nicker was brought up the hill to my ears by the breeze.  
    I tried to contain an excited squeal. Horses - real, _wild_ horses! I could see their tails swishing as they batted away pests while grazing idly. They were in several different colors, one was even an appaloosa. The born tame, specifically bred horses of past Hylian captivity had all been so similar in appearance, but these...  
    One standing a ways away suddenly lifted its head. Its ears pricked to the direction it watched, and in an instant they were all galloping away from whatever it was.  
    I snapped my head to my left. I heard them before I saw them.  
    It was another group of horses, speeding toward the small valley, mounted by bokoblins wielding spears and clubs. The monsters were hooting and shouting, swinging their weapons as they started after the herd of horses. As they got closer, I realized they were laughing. Once the wild herd had disappeared, the bokoblins roughly pulled to a stop and dismounted. They seemed to be setting up camp.  
    Descending down the hill on the side I had climbed, I crept around to get closer. The area was full of hills, so I managed to stay hidden.  
    There was a total of seven bokoblins, with four horses between them. They were gathered around their new fire as they speared the boar one of them had been carrying. It seemed like they had chased the wild horses away for no reason other than to take their resting place.  
    I rolled my eyes at them and took a look at their horses. They were grazing right nearby, seemingly unbothered by the state of their lives. I agreed with Sidon that the animals were probably not abused, as an angry horse could most _definitely_ dispatch a weak red bokoblin, which these were. But still, I was uneasy. I crept closer and closer and saw that some were covered in cuts, and one was favoring a leg. Some of their tails had been cut so short that they were basically useless for their regular function, but they still swished about in vain.  
    Much of the grass in the small valley had been eaten short from the previous herd. The bokoblins' horses began to wander in search of taller grass.  
    One monster immediately sprang up and started shouting at them.  
    The horses all started and took half a galloping jump away, ears pinned, but upon seeing the bokoblin shaking a spear at them, came back near the campfire.  
    They were obviously hungry. All of them were thin, and probably survived completely on grass. That wouldn't normally be a huge problem, but it seemed the bokoblins didn't exactly trust their companions not to run away from them.  
    I had brandished my bow, silently aiming at the bokoblin camp. They were too far to accurately hit, so I aimed off to the left behind their horses. Attached to the end of my arrow was a a small bundle - nothing explosive, just a little pack that would make a burst of harmless dust. I waited for the horses to face the camp again before letting the arrow loose.  
    The horses took off in an instant, trampling over the terrified bokoblins' camp. The fire quickly became scattered embers, and a few spears were reduced to splinters.  
    I couldn't hold back a laugh as I watched the horses regroup themselves nearby. They were probably fifty feet from the remains of the camp, happily grazing once again on much nicer grass.  
    Of course, the origin of the chaos hadn't gone unnoticed by the bokoblins. A couple started shouting and pointing at my exact position, while the others ran for the horses.  
    Oh boy, I thought, just a little bit delighted.  
    They charged at me stupidly as I exposed myself, my bow still at the ready. The one in front was swinging the single remaining spear. With a single whooshing sound the beast was suddenly airborne, then knocked silly about the ground, the spear thrown a couple yards away.  
    The horse, a black and white paint, kept charging at me.  
    In a moment of complete idiocy, I shouldered my bow and reached out. The split second I felt thick strands of hair between my fingers I grabbed with all my will and hauled myself onto the frantic animal's back.  
    The bokoblins cried out again in anger.  
    Using my legs I directed the horse to turn and was facing the rest of them. I grabbed my bow again and aimed, squeezing my legs together tightly to hold on.  
    Two, three, four horses were soon galloping without riders.  
    I turned again and, ignoring the screaming monsters, chased after the freed horses. I whooped at them and started swinging the free end of my rope. I ran alongside them for a bit across the plains before I realized they had no intention of stopping.  
    They seemed to know they were free.  
    My own captured steed slowed to a trot with a few tugs of the mane, and I dismounted as quickly as I could. My heart was pounding and I felt so full of life - it had been too long since I'd ridden, but it wasn't the sort of thing you forgot.  
    When my feet hit the ground, the horse stopped.  
    I caught my breath for a second before grabbing the rope and swinging at the horse's backside. "Go on!" I called out, and clicked with my tongue. "Go with your friends!"  
    The horse sprang into a trot for a few paces, then abruptly stopped and turned back to face me.  
    I stared at it and dropped the rope. "No." I approached it a bit cautiously, but when it didn't react, I put my hands to its neck and pushed. "Go that way." I turned its head around to face where its companions were now almost disappeared over the hills. "Over there. To freedom."  
    The horse snorted and simply stared.  
    I took a quick awkward look underneath it - _him_ \- then straightened and sighed. I grabbed the rope and swung it in a circle, smacking the horse's backside. "Go!" I tried whistling and hooting, but it stood fast.  
    The stallion took deliberate steps to turn and face me. He regarded me with one eye and snorted again.  
    I imitated it and turned away to leave, annoyed. "Okay, whatever!" I threw my arms up. "Go ahead and let those guys catch you again."  
    Slow hoofbeats followed me.  
    I stopped.  
    The hoofbeats stopped, and I felt the horse's warm breath on my head.  
    I turned around again and looked at him. "What do you want?"  
    He was wearing a typical blank horse expression, but he took another step toward me and lowered his large head to start rubbing against me.  
    I quickly sturdied myself by grabbing his mane as he scratched his itch. "Do you mind!?" Figuring he liked the texture of the rope, I let him finish before pulling his head back up and staring into his one eye. "Well, you're friendly for a stallion, at least."  
    He exhaled.  
    Deciding to push the issue, I unraveled the rope completely and offered it to him.  
    No reaction.  
    I shrugged and slipped the lasso end over his head and walked along his neck. When the rope hit his shoulders, with a mental shrug this time, I grabbed his mane again and hauled myself onto his back.  
    Again, no reaction.  
    I gave a gentle squeeze with my legs.  
    He flinched slightly, but started walking.  
    I scooted up onto his withers and reached forward to touch between his ears. "Pretty well trained, too?"  
    I looked him all over. He was thin like the others had been, but not skinny. The blotches of black that almost dominated his coat were flashy, and his mane was long. Unlike the others, his tail had been left alone. I figured maybe he had been caught only recently, but his level of training made it unlikely. I gave him the vaguest of leg cues, and he obeyed them all. He even stopped when I shifted my weight back, but started walking again with a quiet click of my tongue.  
    "Okay." My heart was still pounding, and a grin spread across my face. "Alrighty, look what you got yourself into now! I'm keeping you!"  
    He didn't seem bothered.


	3. Chapter 3

    The two of us kept heading west. I decided on the name Tempest for my new steed, after a royal stallion I had gotten to know in a slightly more functional Hyrule. Even without any reins he behaved, responding to leg cues for direction and speed. Tugging his mane made him slow down, and he would look to me for guidance when we were still.  
    "I guess we'll keep heading this way until we find... something." We went at a trot for just a short bit before going back to a walk - faster gaits on bareback were fun for a very, very short amount of time. Though it would take longer for us to reach whatever goal we headed toward, four legs were better than two in general. I gave Tempest a few affectionate pats as we kept heading on our way. "Yeah," I murmured, thinking about the past few hours. "I'm definitely keeping you."  
    Together we raced across the land. I'd fashioned the rope into a makeshift... _thing_ to keep me more secure on Tempest's back when I wanted to ride faster. He responded fine to leg cues and tugs on his mane, which was surprising for _any_ horse, much less one only kept by bokoblins. I learned to hunt on horseback. I stole weapons and supplies like arrows from the monsters we encountered. While I missed the company of the Zoras, Tempest and I had grown quite close and became enough for each other.  
    With four feet running under me instead of two, it wasn't long before I found a traveler. Two, actually - the first Hylians I had seen in literal _months_.  
    "Well ho there!" The cheerful female voice called to me from the distance, waving alongside her companion. They were off to the side of the road, and stopped walking when they saw me.  
    I slowed Tempest to a trot, then a walk, then stopped once I had reached them.  
    Their appearances almost startled me. After a bit my brain realized there was nothing different about them compared to other Hylians, but when you're used to only seeing Zoras and monsters...  
    "You look travel weary." The other traveler said, his face gently smiling.  
    I nodded and mumbled something. I was used to forgetting how to talk to people. After another bit of coaxing I dismounted tempest and joined the two in a miniature camp.  
    They told me their names - Sorelia and Tye - as we all started a fire to make some sort of dinner. I had barely noticed the sun was setting.  
    "So," Sorelia began. "We're traveling all over searching for a flower called the Silent Princess. Have you heard of it?"  
    I shook my head and furrowed my brow. For all the time I'd spent in this world, I still didn't know much about it.  
    "It's a crazy legend," Tye spread his arms. "They're said to have stopped blooming when Ganon destroyed nearly everything a hundred years ago, but lately people have been having sightings!"  
    I smiled and did my best to hold an actual conversation. "Nature is good at recovering like that."  
    They both seemed moved by the fact that I spoke. "Look Tye, she really _can_ talk!" Sorelia's tone was obviously a light teasing one, so we all managed to laugh.  
    I poked at my nearly-finished food absently and gave a glance over to Tempest.  
    "Your horse." Tye shifted in his sitting position. "He's absolutely gorgeous, but geez, how do you ride like that?"  
    My heart swelled at the compliment on my friend. "Oh, he's really well behaved. Also, I guess I kinda had to make do. I don't have any other supplies."  
    Sorelia stared. "You can get tack pretty cheap at stables, y'know. Haven't you been to one?"  
    My blank expression gave an answer for me.  
    She stood up and pointed back from where they had come. "There's one not too far that way. On horseback you could definitely get there before it gets too dark. There's stables all over Hyrule, and they work like inns, too."  
    I stood up and dusted myself off. I felt like I was being rude wanting to leave so quickly, but it had been too long since I'd slept in a nice bed. "Thank you so much." I gave them both a quick bow, then headed over to gather Tempest. "Um," I looked back and saw their faces regarding me with gentle pity over my situation. "Really, thank you. I've been away from people for too long."  
    After a couple of nods, we separated.  
    I kicked Tempest into a trot and we headed along the main road, my face burning with embarrassment. _That_ was something I hadn't felt in forever... Only a couple weeks away from the Zoras, and my socialization skills had fallen into disrepair. I thought back to my childhood in my bustling home village, how I had acted as a leader among the other kids there, how all the adults disapproved of my social endeavors and encouraged me to act more like a "lady"...  
    I was so happy to have continued defying them. Though my clothes were nice thanks to the Zoras, they were a bit dirty after all the traveling, and my neatly braided hair was a little scraggly. My hands were worn from constantly gripping sword hilts and makeshift horse reins. My legs were muscular from walking and riding. Certainly I didn't look the part of the typical "lady" everyone had wanted me to become; Someone like my mother, they all said. A quiet housewife who let her husband do all the talking and working.  
    They all had a lot to say to me, but none of them ever tried to take the sword from my hand due to how solidly I gripped it.  
    I was startled out of my daydreams by the sharp stench of smoke. Smoke meant fire, and fire usually meant people. I didn't even realize I had urged Tempest into a canter, but there we were, speeding around the edge of a cliff toward hope of civilization.  
  
    The stable was a towering structure made of wood and reeds. The height of the cliffs around us had blocked out the huge form of the horse head that adorned the top of the sturdy, round tent. It was pretty remarkable to see once it came into view.  
    We slowed to a trot as we came to the big plaza. The amount of people sent a spike of fear through my heart, but I managed to control myself. The sun had set by the time we arrived, but the glow of many places kept the place light.   
    "Ho there!" Someone by a covered fire called; I figured it was a common greeting. "A new face! Please, come rest!"  
    It almost made me a little suspicious that the people seemed to welcoming, but I figured maybe they had just become skilled at recognizing a friendly traveler versus someone with malicious intent.  
    In a whirlwind of grabbing hands I was swept off of Tempest, who was brought to a nearby paddock and given, to my absolute shock, _grain_! He seemed just as excited and almost knocked the feed bucket out of the poor attendant's hand.  
    She ran up to me afterwards and pushed by a man who was standing, honestly, too close to me. "Your horse is a little thin," she noted. "I hope he likes the grain!"  
    I nodded at her. "Yeah, I saved him from a monster."  
    "A monster?!" She drew back in surprise, hands over her mouth, and her eyes dropped to the sword at my hip. "Goodness, you must be strong!"  
    Some more men started fawning over my sword, looming at me. I drew back, more in annoyance than any sort of nervousness, and a middle-aged woman suddenly swept me away from them.  
    "Get your leering eyes off her." Her pout was powerful and very quickly dispersed the men. "By the looks of her, she could cut your throats if she wanted to!"  
    I couldn't help laughing when the woman turned me towards her and gave me an apologetic smile. "They don't really mean any harm."  
    I smiled back. "I doubt they could _cause_ any."  
    She made a surprised noise before letting out a loud laugh, her hand on her belly. "Oh goodness, my dear! I agree with you! When you said you took your horse from a monster, oh, the shock in their eyes! We don't usually see women traveling alone in these parts, but when men realize they aren't needed, they can't feel anything but fear!"  
    I let her take me toward the shelter of the tent, which was really a solid structure in truth, but glanced back at Tempest; He was eating lazily, grain falling from his churning mouth. He seemed fine.  
    I was very quickly outfitted with sleeping clothes and promised a warm bed. I tried to explain that I really didn't have any money, but the innkeeper told me the laugh he got from seeing the traveling men shooed away by his wife was enough payment.  
    "We could do something about your horse, though." He leaned one elbow on the counter, glancing out the front window at the other side. "We have saddles and bridles. We really don't charge much, but if you can't pay, we can work something out."  
    The thought of sitting in an actual saddle was almost enough to make me cry from joy.  
    "But, get some rest first." He waved me away from the counter. "Let's worry about those kinds of things in the morning."


	4. Chapter 4

    Morning came quick, but I felt so wonderfully rested. All the aches and muscle knots in my body had been washed away by the soft bed that I was so thankful for. When I finally rose from bed, a few young women gathered around me to help me with things I truthfully didn't need assistance with.  
    They undid my braids, to my dismay, but luckily re-did them just as nicely. This was after I got myself a nice bath in a tub behind the stable - with actual heated water and real soap! After that they presented me with my freshly washed and dried clothes. One girl handed me my newly cleaned lasso.  
    "This is so beautiful," Her eyes lingered on it after she relinquished it to me. "Where did you get a rope like that?"  
    I blushed as I tied it around myself as Sidon had done. "Uh, the Zoras." I was almost stuttering, still not that used to talking to Hylians again. "Stayed there for a while. They made it for me."  
    "Well," the voice of the innkeeper came from behind the girl. "We've outfitted your horse with a nice saddle and bridle, so you won't need it to hold on anymore." He led Tempest up to me by the reins.  
    I beamed when I saw him and my heart skipped. The tack looked _right_ on him - the saddle fit perfectly, and the brown leather of the bridle looked flashy against his dark face.  
    "He took the bit fine." The innkeeper handed me the reins. "I didn't get on him, but he seemed used to the cues. Maybe someone had him before that monster did."  
    "Yeah, he was so well behaved when I got him." I started running my hands over the leather of the reins and bridle, then examined the saddle. "This is so beautiful. Thank you so much..."  
    He waved his hand. "Hey, don't worry about it. If you're traveling, you should have the proper equipment." He paused and shuffled himself. "But I _do_ want to make a request of you."  
    "Anything." I knew it was about the payment. I stood strongly in front of him, awaiting orders.  
    "Well," He grimaced and looked away. "With how peaceful it's been, more and more people have been traveling away from established villages to explore the world and maybe make new settlements. And the problem is... a lot don't know how to hunt, so they rely on places like this stable for food."  
    I knew exactly where he was going. "You want me to hunt for you?"  
    "I didn't want to impose,"  
    I shrugged my bow off my shoulder and displayed it proudly. "I'm a great hunter. I'll travel out to the surrounding forests and get game. People can follow on me to tow it all back. I Promise I can get a lot."  
    "Woah now!" He put his hands out to calm me down. I hadn't realized I was getting so excited. "It's just, we don't see a lot of bows around here. The monsters know how to make them, it seems-"  
    "I can get a bunch of those too, bring them back to you."  
    "T-that would be great! And-"  
    "And I can teach people to use them if you want."  
    "Oh, if you just got the bows, that would b-"  
    "Okay! Let me-"  
    "Hold on there!" the laughing voice of the innkeeper's wife interrupted me, and she grabbed my shoulder to stop me from mounting Tempest. "Relax, my dear!"  
    I flushed. "I just- I want to help. You've been so kind."  
    "You've been here a day." She put her hands on her hips and smiled at her husband. "We greatly appreciate your help, but you don't need to bend over backwards!"  
    I gestured to my horse. "You gave me this amazing tack. Those aren't cheap and someone had to work really hard to make them. It's only fair I work just as hard to repay you."  
    The two looked at each other with defeated smiles.  
  
    I hadn't been in a saddle for so long, I had to almost re-learn how to ride with one. The bridle, however, was very easy to adjust to. Tempest seemed just as glad as I to have it.  
    I had made notes of hunting areas before I'd found the stable. I didn't have a physical map, but had gotten really good at making one in my head.   
    Before I set out from the stable, I had talked to some of the long-term residents about hunting. Many of them were bachelors who had left their villages not too long ago, so they didn't have much of an idea of surviving in the wild. I taught them the basics, about how not to over-hunt one area, and how even small animals like squirrels can be made into nice meals with a few additions. Since stables were traveling hubs, they could easily get ahold of things like salts and light spices. In that regard, I also taught them about different plants that could be cooked up.  
    A few of those hunters-to-be were trailing behind me on horseback to the first hunting area. As we went I gave them more tips, and they listened with wide eyes and sometimes gaping mouths.  
    "I don't mean any disrespect," One dark-haired youth noted shyly as he sidled up to me. "But you're very informed and skilled for a woman."  
    I just smiled at him. "Hey, don't worry about it. I grew up in a village with views like that."  
    "You left, though?" Another young man flanked my other side. "What village?"  
    "Um," I became a little nervous. "From far, far away. There's probably no way you've heard of it." I waved my hand dismissively. "Anyways, I left because I really wanted to go on adventures and uh, help out the world, I guess." I could feel four pairs of eyes on me and the attention made me anxious, but I tried to calm myself. They were impressed with me, was all. "I learned from the people I met on my adventures."  
    They were fascinated and wanted to know more, but we came to the bank of a river, which allowed me an easy change of topic.  
    "Rules for hunting also go for fishing." I pulled Tempest to a stop and directed all of them to look into the water. "It might seem great to pull twenty fish out of a river at once, but you have to keep in mind that if you take all the fish, there can't be any more."  
    My "students" nodded and murmured.  
    "And with hunting," I looked up to a small glen in the distance where I knew wild boars lived. "You don't want to clear out entire herds of things. You have to learn the difference between male and female animals, and make sure there's enough of a balance to keep populations up."  
    It seemed like this was all brand new information to them, and it baffled me. I considered them young but they weren't much younger than me; How had they survived for this long without knowing the basics of survival!?  
    "We had specific hunters in my village." The quietest, dark-skinned boy finally spoke up. "It was the people who _wanted_ to go out to hunt." He glanced around. "Male or female. Whoever wanted to."  
    The other three made sounds of surprise. I was glad at least that they were showing respect toward me. Gender segregation had become so far in my past, to see it existing in the current time almost angered me.  
    We finally made it to the glen, and I gave them some other assorted tips: about how sometimes being on horseback is more convenient, but other times dismounting and stalking your prey can be more lucrative. After killing a wayward boar I showed them how to make simple snares that could be set up, then checked later.  
    We wound up spending the entire day out hunting. I taught them a lot, and we even ran into some monsters, so I was able to steal a simple bow for each of them. We practiced basic shooting, and the most timid of them managed to shoot a fish.  
    "I never thought of fishing with a bow!" He exclaimed, holding his catch proudly. "It's good if you just want a quick meal."  
    When the sun started to set, we headed back. Our pace was slower since we were weighed down with our quarry; two of the horses were pulling nets containing a boar or two each.  
  
    As I settled into bed that night, the innkeeper came to me. He was trying to absolve me of my debt.  
    "But I only taught them for a day, and we only caught a couple boar."  
    He smiled, sitting next to me on the bed. "That day's lesson was more than anyone in their homes had taught them in their lives. I'm confident that with such a strong foundation, they can teach themselves, now."  
    I felt very prideful as I watched them cook what we had hunted, with help from the innkeeper's wife.  
    "And with what they learn, they can teach others."  
    I nodded. "They're smart. They just didn't know how to use themselves."  
  
    I left with the sunrise. Half the stable's residents saw me off, including all of my "students". A couple of them even cried. When one scolded a teary-eyed timid boy, I scolded him right back - there is nothing wrong with tears. Emotions are not weakness, and strength levels certainly aren't gendered. He straightened up immediately, flushing, and apologized. Angrily I warned him to watch himself.  
    He called me "teacher".  
  
    The world became louder. Following the main road, Tempest and I suddenly found ourselves in the midst of actual civilization. Weeks passed by as we traveled from stable to stable, sometimes learning that we were expected.  
    "Ah yes," One innkeeper gave me a bright smile as I rode up one afternoon. "The girl in the red tunic who rides wild horses. We've all heard of your exploits!"  
    Tales of me varied depending on the interests of the areas. I had been teaching young people to hunt, but I had also taken up capturing and gentling wild horses. The training could usually be handled by the people at the barns, but the horses they had weren't usually fast enough to capture more wild ones.  
    I taught them how to respect the horses, but also to realize that they are animals; offer them food, shelter, and companionship, and they'll quickly love you. But, some wild horses were more wild than others; expect to get thrown by a spirited one if you try to jump on its back a week after meeting it.  
    It wasn't like I wanted to eradicate wild populations from Hyrule, but being in human custody meant they were safe. No horse was truly "wild", anyways - they were all descended from horses kept by humans so long ago. They had simply _grown_ wild, and had continued their bloodlines. Technically, the word was feral.  
    The people loved them. Breeding horses took a time, more time than a lot of people had in this day and age. They were so thankful for my services, and I found myself always showered in gifts that I tried to refuse. I didn't need them. Just a bed and a served meal was nice once in a while.  
    I found myself wandering east again after a while. From nearly everywhere I could see the peak of Mt. Lanayru, and sometimes I swore I could hear a song wafting from it, like it was calling me back to where this journey had gotten its true beginning.  
    I wound up passing by the first stable I had visited. To my delight, the green young men had become seasoned hunters, and even had a new "generation" serving under them. The stable had grown and they had even put an addition onto the inn.  
    This broken Hyrule was rebuilding itself.


	5. Chapter 5

    The cold air blowing down from Mt. Lanayru was refreshing. It was summer now, and any relief from the heat was welcome.  
    I realized I couldn't travel up the river on horseback and frowned. "Well," I looked up at my steadfast companion. "Maybe it's not time for a visit..."  
    "Then when would it be?"  
    Startled nearly out of my skin I whirled around toward the river. To my great relief I saw a very familiar face staring back at me from just above the water's surface.  
    He grinned with his sharp teeth, and his large eyes were full of light. "What a long time it has been, Lady Nuke."  
    "Sidon!" I felt my face burning and I ran to him as he climbed out of the water. I threw myself against his torso and clung to him, unable to find words.  
    His chest heaved with laughter. "Oh, my dear Nuke, how I've missed you!"  
  
    Zora's domain had seen more travelers in the months since I had left. At the base of the mountain they had constructed a sort of mini-stable, with places to hold horses and constant attendants.  
    "We've eradicated the monsters from this area, completely." Sidon chimed proudly as we strode side-by-side up the sloping riverbank. "The whole bank is truly our territory now, and it has become more settled."  
    It was true. There were camps all over, filled with beaming faces both Zora and Hylian. Tempest was left in the care of an attendant at the base of the trail who had, of course, heard of our exploits. She was a young Zora who had apparently grown fond of horses after hearing tales of me... I was flattered, if a bit embarrassed.  
    "Oh," Sidon sat with me on a bench near the throne room after I had been happily welcomed back. "We see a lot more travelers, but one in particular was looking for you."  
    I cocked my head up at him.  
    "Yes, she..." His gaze wandered off as he tried to remember. "Hm. She was very... serious? Not very social. She didn't respond well to our welcoming and simply demanded to know where you had gone."  
    My heart stopped and my eyes went wide. Though I had been distracted for so long, the true purpose of my travels was always at the back of my mind.  
    "I knew it was the girl you told me about." He looked at me sternly. "The girl with blue hair."  
    There was no one else it could have been.  
    "She seemed startled that I knew of you." He smiled and laughed quietly. "She even threatened me, thinking perhaps I had harmed you in some way. After a while I managed to quell her fears and assure her that you and I were friends."  
    My heart was pounding out of control and my hands were quivering.  
    Gently, Sidon took them in his own and gazed at me. "It _was_ quite a while ago. I'm sorry, I didn't know how to contact you, but I sent her west in the direction you left." He sighed and broke eye contact for only a second. "I know you'll go after her."  
    I grimaced. "I haven't heard anything else of her at all."  
    "Well," He turned to look behind us, down the mountain. "Certainly people have heard of you. I'm sure you'll find each other sooner rather than later."  
    The thought of it shook me, and I gripped Sidon's hands tightly. "I'm... I need to find her."  
    "Of course." He knew the look in my eyes. I could tell he recognized it as... the way he looked at me. "But, um, won't you stay a bit before you run off?"  
    "Sure! Of course, yeah." I stuttered the words out of nervousness. I tried to push away the cloud of awkwardness threatening to descend on us. "I'd love to."  
  
    There was a feast that night. It had apparently been planned for a few nights from then, to honor the full moon, but due to my arrival the King had it rescheduled.  
    A great fire was made in front of the statue of Mipha, Sidon's departed sister and the Champion of the Zora people. I had heard plenty of stories of her impressive heroics, as well as her tragic sacrifice. Hylian travelers were intermingled with the Zora festivities.   
    Sidon beckoned me to a slightly remote sitting area behind the fountain. Together we enjoyed our grilled Hyrule bass, seasoned with foreign spices from the northern Eldin regions. They were a great combination.  
    I always did my best to have good manners while I ate, but I couldn't help getting excited over the fancy meal.  
    Sidon laughed as he watched me, but averted his eyes with a smirk when I glared at him.  
    "Her name is Fi. Did she tell you that?" I struggled to swallow a piece of fish and wound up talking with my mouth full, which I apologized for. "She probably didn't tell you much."  
    "Not really." He sighed and lounged against the back of the bench. "She told me I didn't need to know her name."  
    I rolled my eyes. "I promise, that's not how she really is. She's just..."  
    "Protective of you." He gave me a knowing smile. "She referred to you as her Master."  
    "Really!?" I made an annoyed sound. "I've told her to stop that already!"  
    He threw his head back and laughed again. "She also said you would be angry about the title! I _did_ get her to open up just a little bit."  
    After everyone had eaten, the noise level dropped to a dull murmur, so Sidon and I adjusted our volume.  
    He told me what he had heard of me since I'd left. Travelers had told him what he could only describe as "legends" of my activities across Hyrule; I made sure to tell him I hadn't gone farther west than the castle.  
    Ah, the castle. I thought about when I first saw it, looming in the distance. It looked to be in a state of disrepair, but I was assured by many that it was slowly being rebuilt. The Princess had returned, after all, and she lived there with her knight, Link.  
    Oh, Link. I had heard so much of Link, from Sidon, of course. When the prince recounted his adventures with the Hylian hero, he clasped his hands together and blinked dreamily toward the sky.  
    "He is truly marvelous and so impressive." He told me one day, his cheeks flushing blue. "I hope someday you can meet him. He is truly, amazingly wonderful!"  
    I wondered about Sidon. He was always so complimentary toward those he cared for; were my (and Link's) exploits truly so fantastic, or was he just really, really easy to impress?  
    I felt his clawed hand gently poking at mine, though he wasn't looking at me. His face was screwed in a slight frown. "But of course, he left."  
    My heart received a dull throb of guilt.  
    "I suppose it can't be helped." He hung his head, his large tail drooping. "He had a mission to complete, after all, and I guess he... found his true purpose."  
    Sidon had told me about his sister, and her feelings for Link. It didn't take much to realize the affections seemed to... run in the family.  
    "I do not like you simply because you're similar to him." He assured my silent wondering. "I... like Hylians in general. Such wonderful people, your sword-wielders tend to be."  
    I tried to wave off the compliment, but he didn't let me, instead grabbing my hand with both of his and staring at me from so high up.  
    "And so lovely."  
    I looked up, seeing his eyes quickly filling with tears, though it was probably mostly due to his blushing. If I tried to claim I didn't have feelings towards the Zora prince, I would have been lying. He was incredibly charming, with bravery and skill to back up his bravado, and he had such a burning passion for his people and the good of the future. So when he so shyly offered me a Zora gesture of affection, I gladly accepted.  
    Carefully he leaned forward, and pressed his protruding forehead to mine. We both closed our eyes, and for a moment, we were silent. He slid his thumbs into my palms and slowly traced circles on them.  
    He opened his eyes first and drew back. When I looked up, my face probably as red as his main coloring, I saw he looked very sad.  
    "I know Hylians cannot experience it the same way." His pupils were slightly dilated. "But we Zoras are able to detect, um, an aura of sorts, from others."  
    I nodded and tried to smile.  
    He tried, too, his pointed teeth peeking out shakily. "I thoroughly understand your feelings..." Awkwardly, he explained to me my own emotions: I did feel for him. If I had been any other person, I would have gladly stayed with him in Zora's Domain. Forever. I truly did wish that I could. "However," He looked away, and I winced. "You, too, have a greater destiny that awaits you." His gaze lifted again to the sprawling valleys in the distance. "Out there. I understand that, and desire only for you to follow that destiny."  
    "Well, don't lie." I smirked. "It's okay to admit that you want me to stay."  
    He recoiled and his face turned even bluer, but he didn't release my hands. "N-Nuke! I would- I don't... I just want you to be happy!"  
    I sighed and felt a warm glow throughout my whole body. "Sidon, please. I would be happy here, and it's tearing my heart to pieces that I have to leave."  
    The use of the words _"have to"_ obviously hurt him. He bit his lip, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. "I-I know. It is... such a bittersweet feeling."  
    A couple tears escaped from me.  
    "Oh," He carefully released one of my hands and tapped at my face, wiping them away. "Goodness, I always ordered myself to never make you cry..."  
    I couldn't help laughing when he pulled me closer and placed one hand on my head protectively. I weakly held on to his smooth skin with my shaking hands. "Sidon."  
    "Yes?"  
    "You didn't realize... that I could feel your emotions, too?"  
    He drew back a little and looked down at me in confusion.  
    I craned my neck to see him. "Maybe some Hylians _do_ have that ability, cause I felt the same thing you did."  
    Slowly, a genuine smile crept across his face.  
  
    We didn't care if the people talked. After the festivities had ended, Sidon and I made ourselves scarce and swept away to his private quarters at the rear side of the Domain, behind the throne room.  
    He held both of my hands in his as we settled into his enormous bed together, tears now freely flowing from his widened, golden eyes.  
    To break the tension, I asked him why he didn't sleep in water like the other Zora.  
    He seemed delighted to change the subject, but didn't release me. "We don't have to. Sometimes I do, I suppose it's better for us. But on special occasions..." His eyes darted away, then came back. "...I like this one."  
    I curled up against his strong chest and relaxed in his embrace. I was held by him; that was all it was, and all it ever would be. Despite the talking that would no doubt start tomorrow, it was only the two of us, relaxing in the presence of each other.  
    For the time, for the destinies we had been dealt, it was enough.  
  
    I woke up before him and snuck out of the domain, as we had painfully discussed the night before. I made myself look as if I had come out from a different direction, as other Zora had of course already gotten up to start their days.  
    I received a few goodbye waves from the children, but mostly I received only sad, understanding nods.  
    The horse-loving attendant handed me Tempest's reins. He had already been tacked up for me. "Goodbye, Nuke." She sad solemnly, unable to meet my eyes. "We will all miss you. You will still visit us sometimes?"  
    I could only nod, unsure of the true answer.  
    The rising sun was still blocked by the mountain as I headed toward the dark west. I rode in silence, not looking behind me once. Not even at the sound of a very familiar splash.


	6. Chapter 6

    Very quickly, I could tell something was wrong. The air was thick and tense.  
    Tempest stopped abruptly, staring ahead of us.  
    I kicked him lightly. "Come on," I whispered, my voice still choked with sorrow. "Let's get out of here Tempest, I-"  
    He suddenly jolted backwards, nickering anxiously and stamping his feet.  
    "What's the matter with you!?" I tugged his reins roughly to back him up, then kicked him with a bti more force. "We need to _go_!"  
    It sounded like thunder come up over the hill before us. As it got closer, I recognized individual beats. Hundreds of them.  
    It was nearly an army, all on horseback. Some armored. Large bokoblins in shades of blue and white - I had never seen ones like that before. They were brandishing long weapons of bone and steel, and many clutched actual shields in their free hands.  
    Their weapons, armor, horses, tack... I knew it had all once belonged to humans. Even the smartest monsters couldn't forge a steel, un-rusted sword. Before they were upon us, I noticed the grim details of red splattered about their shining armor.  
    I snapped both Tempest and myself out of our fear trance and we took off to the left. I knew the army was turning to follow us, and I knew they recognized me. Though they weren't as smart as the sentient races of Hyrule, it wasn't hard to catch on to tales of a girl in red riding a black and white horse.  
    Arrows flew by my head, shot by sophisticated bows of unprecedented strength. Very luckily for me, their aim still tended to be bad.  
    I drew my own bow and twisted backward in my saddle. I had a split second of shock as I saw the full size of the bokoblin army - probably upwards of a hundred of them. I let loose my arrow and it struck the head of a blue one, sending it flying under the trampling hooves of its followers.  
    Rage flashed through me as I saw part of the group break off and continue heading to Zora's Domain.  
    I flew toward them, barely feeling Tempest's hooves hit the ground. We were moving faster than we ever had, and the purple blood of monsters splashing against my now drawn sword. Over a dozen horses were running riderless, but I had no time to be proud.  
    We collided with the straggling group violently. I shot arrows of fire I had bought in my travels - I cherished them, and had saved them for so long, but it was their time to be used. I also didn't have time to consider too deeply the wellbeing of the horses carrying my enemies. Several fell, but mindset had become one of all-out war.  
    Soldiers had already descended from the mountain. Many Zora, but some Hylian, armed with their traveling weapons. Arrows launched into the sky on an echoed command, striking haphazardly but greatly scattering the enemy forces.  
    I barely even registered the storm.  
    The clouds over us had instantly become too heavy and opened up, the ground beneath our horses' hooves turning to mud that dirtied our weapons and faces. The rain extinguished my fire arrows, but they still worked fine for simple killing.  
    Tempest and I managed to keep our footing. We had both navigated and fought in rainstorms many times.  
    The bokoblins didn't fare as well, many of them keeping normal speeds and winding up crashing to the ground, crushed by their frightened mounts.  
    In the distance I could hear Sidon giving orders, my ears so sharply attuned to his voice, even though the tone was so different. He shouted and commanded to his neatly organized troops, armed with bows or spears, before I heard him call to me.  
    I had finished the enemies around me and was able to trot to him.  
    He stood in the rain, my position on horseback finally evening out our heights. He was stone-faced. "So they finally try this."  
    I gritted my teeth and glanced out to the battle that had rapidly become such chaos. "I won't let them get near you." I tried to spur Tempest forward again, but Sidon grabbed his reins.  
    "Nuke."  
    I looked down at him.  
    His eyes shone with the deep affection I had grown used to. A smile very suddenly split his solemn face. "Do continue your heroics, my Knight."  
    My heart swelled with pride and we were off again.  
    Sidon had apparently previously ordered that my commands were to be obeyed. When I suggested an injured Zora retreat, she regarded me with the title "Commander" and withdrew immediately, taking another with her.  
    It made things easy. The Zoras could certainly hold their own, and I took to thrwarting sneak-attacks and impaling stragglers on spears I had stolen from others.  
    Sidon wound up beside me. We took a singular place in the center of the battlefield; he turned with Tempest's rapidly moving body, the two of us acting as one double-sided being. Bokoblins fell all around us, disappearing in smoke and leaving their startled horses to gallop away in the pouring rain.  
    The river was raging. Though not flooded, we made sure to stay away from it. While the bokoblins would be swept away and purged from the world, we still held respect for the lives of the horses.  
    I separated myself from Sidon to chase after a small group led by a white bokoblin that had disarmed and cornered several fighters. I charged at them and they ran almost blindly toward what I knew was a steep slope.  
    The horses stopped instinctively, several throwing their riders over the edge and turning, whinnying, to get away from the edge.  
    The roaring happened so suddenly, I mistook it for thunder and didn't pay it any mind. I took half a second too long to watch the bokoblins struggle, without realizing what was happening.  
    The ground gave way.  
    Tempest flew into a frenzy, his hooves pounding uselessly against the soaked earth as it fell away beneath us. I heard the combined screams of monsters and horses as the entire cliff crumbled, quickly becoming  a river of mud and rock, clawing at everything above it like a hungry beast.  
    Mud struck my feet. Tempest struggled against the deadly river and bucked several times; I realized he was trying to eject me from the saddle.  
    I followed his lead and slipped my feet out of the wet stirrups. As fast as I could, clinging to his wet mane, I climb off of him and tried pulling us both to safety.  
    Everything was a blur. I had managed to slow our progress by clinging to a surely-doomed tree for some leverage. I saw that his legs were nearly fully engulfed by the flowing mud. In an instant I had my hunting knife out. My head was a flashing fire of panic, fury, and desperation. I couldn't hear my own shouts as I cut the girth of the saddle to free my beloved horse of its weight.  
    The landslide devoured it in an instant, but Tempest was still not free, and we were sliding farther down the cliff to the river below. The tree was torn away and I had nothing to hold other than Tempest's reins, which were locked permanently in the deathgrip of my fingers.  
    His brown eyes were watching me, wide with terror as he struggled in vain against the landslide.  
    I cried out my treasured companion's name, but it was drowned out by a crash of thunder.  
    The bridle slipped off his head, and I felt a clawed arm grab my shoulder.  
  
    I woke up silently. The landslide was in my dreams, Tempest's terrified face taking up my vision before it was all drowned by mud and my voice was stolen from me. I coughed and choked from sheer panic, struggling against my restraints.  
    "Shh, shush now. Relax. Relax, Nuke, please." Sidon's voice. He was holding me very tightly against himself, having wrapped me in a warm blanket. "It's over."  
    If those words were meant to comfort me, they didn't succeed. I flailed against Sidon's hold on me and tried to yell at him, managing only a couple of pathetic but angry whimpers.  
    He wouldn't let go. Physically, he would always, always be much stronger than me. Despite his build, he was shaking. "I'm sorry," He muttered, then repeated it. "I'm so sorry, Nuke. We couldn't do anything. I couldn't do anything."  
    I knew exactly what he meant, and I fell limp against him, sobbing.  
  
    The storm had long passed. The field looked as if it had never come, other than the slight reduction in surface area.  
    The dropoff came sooner. So much earth had fallen away, plunging into the lower part of the river.  
    Sidon carried me all the way down the riverbank from Zora's Domain, to the field where the awful battle had taken place.  
    A group I recognized as the soldiers who had joined me in battle were gathered near the site of the landslide. Sidon told me that miraculously, no one had been killed; the injured had been brought back to the Domain for treatment. Unfortunately, there were some serious injuries, but the Zora had faith in their doctors to heal them.  
    Sidon set me down on the grass softly, and the group slowly backed away.  
    My heart ached with a weight I had never felt. All the times I had spent, throughout so many worlds and times, searching for Fi... I had always found her. I always had hope. I knew she was _somewhere_ , that I would see her again.  
    So when I laid my hand on the side of Tempest's head and felt his cold fur, his closed eyes that would never again open... I wept. I buried my face in his tousled mane and cried for my companion, my partner, my dear friend.  
    For the first time in my life, I had truly lost someone, with no hope of them ever returning to me.  
  
    The Zoras who had helped pull him from the river below also helped prepare a grave. I would have thanked them, but I'd run out of words. They understood and in return, could only offer their condolences.  
    Sidon led a ceremony, but made it very brief. He talked vaguely of my adventures, and my connection with the graceful, hooved beasts of Hyrule - particularly the paint I had accidentally befriended. When I started crying, he wove his speech to its end and dismissed the onlookers.  
    I stayed at the grave for a long time. The Zoras had brought down a beautiful stone to use as a marker; it was previously engraved with the Zora Sapphire, as they kept premade headstones for their own departed.  
    "He was one of yours, and so, one of ours." The hunched, elderly Zora minister had said to me, having to reach up to place a hand on my shoulder. "He will rest with our own."  
    Because of the long lifespan of the Zora people, the gravesite was small. Apparently they had a few others in different places, to avoid having to move bodies too far from where they had fallen. Tempest was buried beside Zora warriors of the past who had given their lives to protect their people.  
    I finally left Tempest's grave to retreat to the Domain at sunset, seeing Sidon at the base of the trail, waiting for me.  
    He took me into his arms again, carrying me back to the city without a single word.  
    I was very, very tired.


	7. Chapter 7

    For three more nights, I slept in Sidon's arms. My days dragged, and I found myself unable to speak. The Zoras fussed over me as they had so many months ago, braiding my hair and bestowing me with gifts of beautiful jewelry.  
    On the fourth morning, Sidon dressed me in my newly clean tunic, and braided my hair the way the children loved to. He draped a necklace he had given me across my chest, and slid my familiar cloak over my shoulders. Before I left what had become our room, he knelt before me and offered me my cleaned sword, dressed in its new, ornate silver sheath.  
    Despite his kneeling position, I still had to reach up for it.  
  
    "I'm going to the castle," I addressed the informal group that had gathered outside the throne room. "To offer my services to Princess Zelda."  
    While happy for me, they were sad to see me go. Several of the children ran up to hold my hand and bid me farewell.  
    Sidon walked me to the city's entrance, but stopped when I took my first step off the bridge.  
    I turned to face him and, when I saw him smiling, smiled back. "The Princess may have heard about Fi. I need to find her."  
    Sidon looked up to the sprawling land in the distance, then back down to me. "Take care of yourself." One of his hands was hidden, the other gripping the hilt of his sword, shaking. "I... want to see you again, someday."  
    I nodded. I was luckily, in a way, out of tears. "You will."  
    Once again, we parted. My slowed pace was painful. As I descended the mountain, I could only manage a quick glance to the grave site near the territory's entrance. I didn't have to say out loud that I would be back to visit.  
  
    Feeling ambitious, I climbed Lanayru Tower. The structure was ridiculously massive, like the other towers scattered throughout Hyrule. It didn't take me too long, though I was thankful for the platforms where I was able to rest. It also wasn't the first tower I had climbed. When I reached the top I peered out toward the west.  
    I could see the castle. It stood as quiet as a small, silver forest. Once there had been a town at its feet, bustling with vibrant life that could probably have been heard all the way to where I stood. But now...  
    I descended the tower and headed straight west. I knew the way already. I had come close enough to the castle, once, to make out movement in its windows, but didn't have the nerve to approach.  
    It was the Princess' connection to Hylia that kept me at bay.  
    Where I had met Fi, I learned about the constant of Princess Zelda. She was in nearly every world I traveled to and, whether she knew it or not, she carried the blood of Hylia within her. Hylia, the goddess who enjoyed the cruel games she played on me, no matter what she claimed. Hylia, who snatched Fi from me and trapped her again within the sacred sword, declaring her to be nothing but a tool to be used by the legendary hero.  
    "And you, daughter of Din, are no legend." Her voice burned in my ears any time I thought of her, enraging me. I had honestly started to doubt her true potential for power, as I had spent so much of my time cursing her name and (usually symbolically) spitting on statues of her. I took offerings left at shrines and destroyed them, laughing at the decayed roofs of buildings and daring her to come down and face me.  
    She never did.  
    The creation goddesses, the trio I had learned about in my youth, I was less directly familiar with. They were storied as the three beings who had made the world, the different parts of it, but they had no interest in dwelling down here beyond that. Their energies were stored within the great Triforce, whatever and wherever it was.  
    But Hylia's arrogance bothered me. She called me a "daughter of Din", the goddess of fire who imbued the earth with breath and life, as if it were an insult. I knew what she meant - I was a worldly thing, and she was an elevated goddess. What time did she have for my pathetic affections for her envoy, an artificial spirit of a sword meant for someone who wasn't me?  
    As I slowly trudged to the castle, I hoped that this Zelda was more Hylian than Goddess. Throughout all my travels I had learned, sometimes painfully, that a world cannot expect to be held together by a greater force. Worlds must be led by their own.  
  
    It took three days to reach it. This would have been fine; I'd even consider it a short trip. But for the duration of the journey, I'd been distracted. Angered. I thought of how Hylia had played with my life, or rather, how she _hadn't_ \- she admitted to me that she enjoyed my "games" with Vaati, how he tore me away from people I had grown to love, then watched me suffer as I closed myself off from others completely. She thought we were just "playing", and had no concept of mortal suffering.  
    So, on the topic of mortal suffering: I had forgotten to eat or drink. My last sip of water and bite of food had been at Zora's Domain, at the small breakfast I was pressured into having before setting out. With every step I put all my focus into cursing Hylia's name, occasionally glaring in the direction of the castle and hoping the Princess could hear my angry words. I even thought of Link, her knight, the supposed hero that had saved this world a year ago. I cursed him, as well, for being who he was: the hero who Fi was created to serve. The reason she had a life, but wasn't really allowed to have one at all. The so-called damned Hero who had broken Sidon's heart and gone to live with a reincarnation of the accursed goddess who cackled at my misfortune from her lofty throne.  
    It was in the middle of one of these curses that my body tried, for the thousandth time, to remind me that I was starving and dehydrated. I noticed the alarm, and ignored it for a final time.  
    My face promptly hit the dirt.


	8. Chapter 8

    I woke up in a bed. An extraordinarily soft bed. I kept my eyes shut but heard the quiet clinking of porcelain dishes nearby. I stayed very still and tried to survey my situation before showing that I was awake.  
    After another minute or so of quiet sounds, it became clear that whoever was in the room with me wasn't planning on leaving.  
    I opened my eyes.  
    "Oh, good morning." A soft, accented voice called quietly.  
    I sat up and leaned against the headboard.  
    There was a young woman by my bedside. Her long, blonde hair was held back by a braid across the top of her head. She wore a blue and white outfit, with plain brown trousers and boots. She kept her hands behind her back and smiled at me, her large green eyes lit up by the sun shining through the single, narrow window. "I thought you would never wake up. We worried when you didn't, even after you drank some water."  
    I stared at her. Even if she had given me water like she said, my throat still felt dry.  
    "I'm sure you're starving." Her brow furrowed. "You've been asleep since we found you, and that was yesterday afternoon."  
    I felt a small pang of panic when I realized how much time had passed since I had last eaten. On cue, my stomach growled loudly.  
    She smiled again. "Goodness. Your stomach sounds like Link's!"  
    _Link?_  
    I sat up further and tried to react with some kind of anger, but my arms shook from weakness and I fell again.  
    "Goodness!" The girl jumped forward in worry and put her arms out toward me. She laid her hands on me gently. "You know what, I'll bring your food to you. I can't have you trying to navigate this darned castle when you're this weak!" She turned and hurried to the door.  
    "Um," I managed, my voice quivering.  
    She immediately stopped and whirled back around. "Yes? Do you need something?"  
    "...Who are you?"  
    After a pause, her smile widened. "Oh, I'm sorry. I never introduced myself to you, did I?"  
    I stared.  
    "Why, I'm Princess Zelda." She put an arm across her midsection and bowed to me. "Now, let me get your breakfast." And she was gone.  
    I blinked in confusion. _This_ was Princess Zelda? She wore regular clothes, though they were a bit fancy. And _pants_ , which was unlike any royal woman _I_ had ever seen. She had been hanging around my room, waiting for me to wake up so she could offer me food. Why was  _she_ bringing me the food? She hadn't mentioned a maid or other servant bringing it.  
    Why was she being so nice to me?  
  
    I smelled the food long before the door opened. Only Zelda came through, back-first, holding a large tray. Drool pooled in my mouth when I saw the extravagant feast it held.  
    "Breakfast is served!" Her cheerful voice sang as she stepped quickly to the bed and fixed the tray's legs around me. She clapped her hands together and grinned proudly. "I hope you like it! Our chefs have gotten used to the kitchen, I'd like to think."  
    Before me was... so much food. I recognized a steak, something I hadn't seen in forever. It was a steak from an _actual_ cow, not just a wild boar. There were scrambled eggs and strips of bacon - a form of boar I didn't mind devouring - and lightly toasted bread. For the first time in almost a year, I was having an actual, full  _meal_ that didn't involve fish, which I had never been that fond of.  
    "Well, dig in! I'll give you privacy." Before I could even react, she was gone, the door shut gently behind her.  
    I ate like a starved animal which, technically, I was. The food was heavenly, to put it mildly. The steak was seasoned with actual spices, and it really was beef, not _boar_! The bacon didn't even taste like gamey pork, it couldn't have been from a  _wild_ pig. The eggs were fresh and delightful.  
    "Almost forgot!" Zelda burst back into the room holding a cup, which she placed on a dresser next to the bed. "Something to drink! Of course. I'll leave you alone again!" And again she was gone.  
    It was orange juice. _Orange juice_! I had only had oranges a couple of times, in luxurious company.  
    I eventually managed to pace myself with the food, trying to savor every bite of it. When I was done, I was basically comatose from fullness and joy.  
    A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door, and Zelda's now-familiar face peered in. "Hello! Are you done with your breakfast?"  
    I tried to mumble words of praise, thanks, absolute gratitude beyond my wildest dreams, but I could only manage a dazed nod.  
    Zelda giggled and clasped her hands together beside her face, grinning. "I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I'll give your praise to the cooks, I promise!"  
    I tried to explain things to her, though I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. Did I need to apologize for how I assumed she'd act? No, she wasn't actually divine and couldn't read my thoughts or anything like that. I tried to ask her why she had taken me in, some random passed-out traveler - and I hadn't been close to the castle, had I? Why was I brought all the way there?  
    After blubbering out too many words, I blushed and silenced myself, and quietly apologized.  
    Zelda had pulled a chair up to my bedside and listened intently the entire time. "Oh no," She waved her hand at my apology. "No need to apologize, please. Here, I'll answer your questions." She cleared her throat and put her hands in her lap. "Yes, I am the Princess. Yes, you are in Hyrule Castle. Scouts of mine found you outside the town and brought you here. I know who you are, but I don't know your name. You're the girl in the red tunic. You've become quite famous around here for traveling about, catching horses and teaching sheltered young people how to hunt, things like that."  
    I blinked and smiled in a bit of pride I couldn't keep down.  
    "So." She leaned forward. "What is your name? It's something I've wanted to hear only from the source. Some accounts vary in their accuracy."  
    "Nuke." I stated simply.  
    "Nuke," She repeated, tilting her head. "Nuke, yes, okay. I have heard that one, among others. Good to finally know the right answer."  
    We talked. We _chatted_. I actually had a c _asual conversatio_ n with the Princess of _Hyrule_. Considering my relationship with Sidon, it seemed silly to be a little awestruck, but I was.  
    She was nothing like how I had imagined. She was nothing like _Hylia_. We discussed her lineage, but she brushed it to the side. She didn't care and almost didn't seem to believe that she was descended from the goddess. "It doesn't matter to me." She told me. "What really matters is how I take care of my people. How I lead. How I govern." Taking a breath she stood from her chair and looked down at me, but softly. "I am myself. That is what matters. And I will not treat you as that goddess has."  
    I sat up farther in the bed, noticing the soft clothes I had been given. "Princess Zelda..."  
    "Honestly, just my name is fine, most of the time."  
    I smiled bashfully. "Zelda... I actually came here for a reason."  
    She looked serious, but still very kind. "Of course you did. Anything I can help you with, I will do everything in my power."  
    I hesitated, but gathered the strength to continue. "I'm looking for someone."


	9. Chapter 9

    I followed Zelda through hallways and down flights of stairs. The castle sprawled out in all directions. Though it was still under heavy restorative construction, it had obviously begun to resemble its former glory. The floors were covered with vibrant, new rugs, and the stone walls were clean and bright.  
    "I _do_ want you to meet Link." Zelda nearly skipped ahead of me, hands folded behind her. "He has also heard much about you. You two can talk about horses and food!" She whirled to face me but kept walking, backward. She frowned suddenly, then returned to smiling. " _If_ you can get him to talk."  
    We strolled through the open doors into what I assumed was the innermost chamber of the castle. It was furnished with a stage-like presence, with rows of empty chairs sitting in front of a raised platform.  
    "This is the sanctum." Zelda announced, her voice echoing up to the high ceiling. "It's the main meeting room for when the townsfolk want to get together, now."  
    When we entered, a single figure stood from a chair in the front row.  
    "Link!" Zelda called, running over to him and grabbing his arm. "Nuke! This is Link! Link, be polite." She shoved him ever so slightly.  
    I walked up to him, and became nervous when I met his eyes.  
    He had a very serious look on his face. He was just a few inches taller than me, and wore an outfit similar to Zelda's, with a blue tunic. He stood with his shoulders pushed back and his chest out, and he looked down his nose at me. His eyes, large and blue, were narrowed in suspicion.  
    "Don't be rude." Zelda whispered, releasing his arm but shoving him again. "She's an esteemed guest here."  
    Link didn't speak, and I then understood what Zelda had meant earlier. _If_ I could get him to talk.  
    I bowed deeply in respect. I knew who he was - a knight and the guardian of Princess Zelda. The hero who had saved all of Hyrule. I put aside my personal feelings formed through secondhand stories and humbled myself. "An honor to meet you, sir. Please forgive the nature of my arrival. I hope not to cause you any inconvenience."  
    Zelda hummed in a bit of displeasure, but she understood my display. "It is alright, Nuke. Don't worry about such things."  
    When I looked back up at Link, I was relieved to see him nod as he smiled at me.  
    He cocked his head as he seemed to be examining what I was wearing.  
    Zelda had, apparently, commissioned new clothes to be made for me weeks before I even thought about passing out near the castle town. It was another red tunic, but it was embroidered in places with gold thread. The entire outfit was like a mixture of Link's and Zelda's clothes - comfortable and non-formal, but elegant and bright.  
    "Doesn't she look wonderful in it?" Zelda placed her hands on Link's shoulders, beaming. "She really fits in it."  
    Link shot her a look, eyes wide, but said nothing.  
    Zelda pouted. "Don't give me that. I already talked to her about it, but she has someone she's looking for."  
    I felt myself flush and averted my eyes. "I'll impose as little as possible."  
    It was Link who raised a hand to gently quiet me. His face returned to smiling, and his face softened.  
    Zelda seemed excited.  
    Link took a breath and, quietly, spoke his first word to me: "...Welcome."  
  
    Zelda hadn't heard about Fi, which was disheartening. My disappointment panicked her and she immediately promised to make an effort to actively search for her. She rejected my own attempted rejection of her offer.  
    The day passed quickly, and I soon was brought back to the room I had woken up in. It was a guest room, I was told, and nearly fainted from the idea of it. It had been honestly _huge_. I didn't even want to think what Zelda or Link's rooms looked like.  
    I tried not to become used to the extravagant lifestyle, which was hard. There were a few servants, but they were treated so kindly, I felt odd using that word. They came to me often, asking if I could use help with anything. I'd been on my own for so long, I wasn't used to it. Soon they left me alone, but were always open for requests.  
    Zelda and I... got along. It was another strange thing to me. She told me she was so relieved to have someone of her gender to talk to; of course as wonderful of a companion as Link was, one needed to be around their own "kind" once in a while. She said it with a laugh, feeling awkward.  
    I dismissed her anxieties and agreed with her. I spent so much time around men myself, and admitted I was honestly sick of them.  
    That made her laugh out loud, her bright voice echoing through the hallways despite the sprawling carpets.  
    She asked about Fi. When she learned her hair color, her eyes went wide and she became even more curious.  
    I didn't lie, or even hide facts. I told her exactly what Fi was - a spirit, created by the goddess Hylia, to live within the sacred sword.  
    Link happened to be in the room when I had spoken those last two words. A mouth full of food, he looked up from across the nearly endless dining table.  
    "Oh," Zelda set her fork down and looked at me. "You mean the Master Sword?"  
    I shrugged. "I think?"  
    We rushed the ending of our dinner, denying dessert, and I was whisked away to what I soon learned was Link's bedroom.  
    It was there on the wall. My heart surged and I ran automatically to it, placing my hands on the sheath.  
    Nothing.  
    "Nuke..." The Princess' voice dropped. "Over a hundred years ago, when Link first held that sword, I could hear a voice from within it."  
    I turned to her.  
    She looked sadder than I had ever seen her. "After our re-awakening... Well, I can no longer hear it, I'm afraid."  
    I smiled to quell her worries. "Because she's not in there anymore." I stepped away from the sword and met Link's curious gaze. "I've wielded this sword, too."  
    The hero started and his expression quickly returned to one of suspicion.  
    I softened my body language. "But I know I wasn't supposed to. It didn't hold any kind of magic while in my hands. None at all."  
    Link relaxed when Zelda touched his shoulder. He stood up straight again and nodded, remaining silent.  
    I glanced back at the sword. "It's nice to see it again, but..."  
    "...It's not what you're looking for."  
    I nodded. "Like I said." I walked forward, a mix of emotions swelling in me, and left the room. "She's not in there anymore."  
  
    Days passed. I started spending my time at the stables; though it made my heart heavy to think of Tempest, who I had told Zelda about, seeing horses again really helped. Zelda even invited me on a trail ride, which I politely declined - I really only wanted to ride a horse of my own, at this point. Immediately, of course, she offered one to me. Again, I declined.  
    Link had a horse of his own. She was a big, beautiful mare - dark sorrel, almost red, with a striking white mane and tail. He called her "Epona", the single word he spoke to me when I approached them.  
    He handed me a brush and let me help groom her. He smiled as he watched me.  
    I couldn't help smiling, too. "She's absolutely gorgeous, Link." I ran my hand over her gleaming coat, then looked at him. "The perfect steed for a knight."  
    The smile he gave me indicated a bit of an apology, which I accepted with a nod.  
    "Your duty is to protect the Princess, and Hyrule." I patted Epona gently. "Suspicion is, honestly, the only acceptable response to a stranger in your house."


	10. Chapter 10

    Somehow, I had become a fixture at the castle. Link and I bonded, mostly without words, through swordplay practice and grooming horses. I still declined riding with Zelda, but when Link invited me one day, I found I couldn't say no.  
    He picked out a black gelding for me, and the two of us set out for a quick patrolling trail, as the other guards called it. We trotted alongside each other on the wide road in silence for a while, until we came to the bank of a river.  
    Link pulled Epona to a stop and stared into the water. His gaze followed it up, off to the east, until it settled on Mt. Lanayru.  
    My breath hitched. "Yeah. I spent a lot of time with the Zoras."  
    His head snapped to me and his eyes were wide.  
    I smiled at him. "Prince Sidon says hello. The two of us became good friends."  
    I could tell he was trying to look serious, but he turned his face away slightly. Bashfully. Even with his face hidden I could see the flush on his cheeks.  
    I grinned and bit my bottom lip mischievously. "Cute."  
    The one word made his expression change violently from shyness to anger. Even his long ears blushed red and he glared at me, pouting but not doing anything else. After a second of enduring my grin, he tore his eyes away from me and turned Epona around, breaking immediately into a canter.  
    I laughed and chased after him.  
  
    As we came around the back of the castle, Link suddenly stopped.  
    I did too. "Something wrong?"  
    He looked at me, at my face, then down at my right hand. He shuffled closer and reached out.  
    I lifted my hand. "Uh-?"  
    He grabbed it rather roughly and stared intensely at glove I was wearing. Before I could say anything he used his free hand to pull it off, and kept staring.  
    I looked around. "Uh, Link, is something wrong with my hand?"  
    After a second of weird silence, he released me and gave me my glove back, then continued onward.  
    I stared after him for a moment before I followed, making sure to keep my distance. I muttered in confusion to myself, but tried to forget about it.  
    Later, I asked Zelda about it. Her response was an immediate frown. It worried me.  
    "Did I do something wrong?"  
    "No, well." She glanced around, but we were alone. "Link told me the reason for his suspicions, and it has to do with your right hand."  
    I looked down at it.  
    " _Sort_ of your hand." Gently she held it between both of hers, with her own right on top. "Watch this." Astonishingly, the top of her hand started to glow. A symbol appeared on it - one I recognized right away.  
    "The Triforce."  
    "Yes..."  
    _I've heard of Zeldas with Triforces on their hands_ , I wanted to say, but quickly bit my tongue. _This_ Zelda knew of (and believed!) my tales of traveling between worlds, but the idea of multiples of herself might have been a little too odd.  
    "I possess the power of the Triforce of Wisdom. Link has the Triforce of Courage."  
    I nodded and watched as the glowing triangular design disappeared. "The other one is Power."  
    Zelda looked up at me with a worried expression.  
    I mirrored it. "The one that Ganon has."  
    She nodded. "Link..." Biting her lip, she seemed to force herself to continue. "He sensed the Triforce of Power in you."  
    My heart skipped a beat. "Um, I'm not Ganon."  
    "I know you aren't!" She released my hand with a nervous smile. "We both do. But..."  
    I took a deep breath, then sighed. "I haven't ever seen that symbol appear on my hand, if it makes you feel any better."  
    "It... does."  
    "You don't have to lie."  
    "We just worry about what may happen. Ganon has taken other forms before."  
    That made me a little angry and I forced our eyes to meet. "With all due respect, Princess, I've been through a lot. I've traveled through a whole bunch of worlds and the whole time, I've been fighting against the forces of Ganon. I've never actually met the beast in, er, _person_ , but I've also never found any evidence that implied I had a connection with him."  
    While I talked, she nodded slowly. "I do trust you, Nuke. If I am being completely honest, I would find the claim completely outrageous if coming from anyone other than Link. And I will also admit, I cannot sense any of this so-called energy in you."  
    Internally, I gave a sigh of relief.   
    "It may only be something residual, from traveling so much." She broke away from me and started pacing the room, her hand on her chin. "I'm sure we have nothing to fear from you. I'm more curious than anything as to what Link is sensing."  
    I stayed put. "Me too."  
    "And the fact that you've never seen any symbol of awakening on your hand is further evidence that it is... probably nothing."  
    "Probably." I parroted, and felt a little rude.  
    "Hopefully." She was smiling again as she came back up to me. "Perhaps it's worth some research." I saw her eyes light up when she said the last word. Her bookishness was so charming.  
    I smiled, too. "Well, I'd be a willing subject!"  
    Delighted, she jumped back and clapped her hands together. "Excellent!" She exclaimed, and started running around the room again, gathering some scattered papers and at least one pen. "I will spent the day in the library to see if I can find anything. If you run into Link and he gives you attitude, tell him I said to leave you alone, okay? Okay!"  
    Before I could even respond, she had darted out of the room, left-behind papers scattering from the rush of wind that followed her.


	11. Chapter 11

    "For so long, I just wanted to go back."  
    Zelda didn't look up from her book, but she was listening. She had asked me if I wanted to keep her company, then excitedly pushed on by requesting tales of my adventures in other worlds.  
    "And the more I tried, the farther I got from home." I was sitting up on a dresser, which was extremely undignified, but the princess hadn't said anything to me yet. I kicked my legs absently. "Thinking about it is kind of weird. I met so many people."  
    "I can't even imagine." She kept her head down, but there was sincerity in her voice like always.  
    "But then I got to this one world. It seemed so old compared to the rest."  
    "Oh? What was that Hyrule like?"  
    I bobbed my head back and forth. "It wasn't even Hyrule yet. Nobody called it that. Everyone lived in the sky."  
    That made her look up and blink at me. "The sky?"  
    "There was a whole town up there. They called it Skyloft. No one ever went down to the surface world... That's why, when they finally did, they were so surprised to find me."  
    She nodded slowly. "A city in the sky..."  
    "With regular, Hylian-looking people. Pointed ears and all." I pointed at mine, smiling. They _were_ pointed, but in my world, they were much shorter. The Hylians of most other worlds I had visited had very exaggerated ears, that stretched a few inches long. I had gotten used to them, but it had taken a while.  
    Zelda smiled back, then returned to her work. "So... The sky city is where you met her?"  
    "Well, sort of." I felt my body heating up. "I was down on the surface. I woke up in the middle of the night one night, and she was there."  
    "Tell me what she looked like."  
    I looked up to the ceiling and thought about Fi's original form. "Blue, she was all blue. Basic definition in her face and no detail to her eyes. She didn't blink but her eyes moved. She floated. Her arms were just ripples of fabric, and her voice sounded like she was speaking through water."  
    A small chuckle came from the princess. "You describe her so poetically. Do you write?"  
    I flat-out blushed and turned my head away, even though she wasn't looking at me. "No. I just... think."  
    "That's the first step." By her hand motions, I was able to tell that she was drawing. "Describe her some more to me."  
    I did. Eventually I moved to a seat next to Zelda's desk, watching her draw. She went through several sketches, erasing parts when I pointed out, no, her hair didn't quite look like that. My heart filled with delight when she finished the last sketch, and it looked almost exactly like Fi once had.  
    "And now," Her big green eyes shimmered up at me. "Can you describe what she looks like _currently_?"  
    I bit my lip. "I'll try. Hylians are hard for me."  
    Zelda took into account my note that Hylians looked slightly different in every world. She knew I had only seen Fi as a Hylian in one previous world, but learned that _those_ Hylians looked different from _these_ Hylians, so she may look different.  
    "But her face is definitely going to be soft." I mimed gestures around my own cheeks. "Her hair may be longer, but it's gonna be blue. There's no way it changed colors. And she'll probably still have that gem in her head, but she _might_ hide it with her hair..."  
    Zelda just kept nodding, adjusting her sketches accordingly. She was very focused. Nearly half a dozen pages had been covered in scratches of thin charcoal lines.  
    As she drew a final line, finishing the shape of an eye, my heart skipped a beat and I gasped without meaning to.  
    She stopped and smiled at her drawing. "Probably what she looks like now, right?"  
    I stood slowly, shaking. "Yes. I think so." I reached for the paper.  
    "Hold on." She shot to her feet beside me, then gathered all of the drawings in her arms. "I have an idea."  
  
    "Take it with you." She handed me the rolled-up parchment, tied with a purple thread. "For a reminder, or to show people. Just in case you need it."  
    I felt bogged down by more than just the amount of equipment Zelda had given me. I had an extra layer of clothing underneath my tunic, as the weather had started to turn. My Zora cloak covered my shoulders for the first time in a while, having been carefully cleaned and cared for. The princess had graciously given me a new bow, a beautiful ornate thing with intense firing power. I'd turned down her offer of a new sword, opting to keep my own, in its Zora-designed sheath.  
    "Please take care." She smiled sadly after my length of silence. "Know that the castle is your home. I do ask that you return when your journey is finished, or-" She looked away briefly. "Or whenever you'd like." A  _real_ smile overtook her face. "Construction is going so well, perhaps you won't even recognize the place!"  
    I took the hand she offered and kept smiling at her. I knew she was worried about me, especially since I had yet again refused to take a horse she had offered to me.  
    Taking out the strange device on her hip, she poked at it and it displayed, miraculously, a map of Hyrule. I had become less dazzled by the thing, but it had taken a _while_. "Here. The Akkala region." The picture moved and zoomed in on the northeast section. "That is where the most recent reports have been coming from."  
    "Thank you... Princess." I gave a nervous glance off to the side where Link stood, arms crossed, watching me with a side-eyed glare.  
    "Maybe you should take the Sheikah Slate."  
    Link stood up straighter and dropped his arms.  
    "No no, it's okay!" I stepped back to distance myself immediately. "I've gotten a good feel of this world. Plus, I have the map you gave me!" I patted at the shoulderbag resting on my hip. "It's plenty."  
    She sighed and returned the slate to its place on her belt. "I suppose I've been spoiled by it. You have much more travel experience than me, I must remember."  
    I gave a final bow to Zelda after a few more words, and then to Link, who had finally approached. I avoided his gaze and kept my eyes to the ground.  
    To my shock, he bowed back to me, then coaxed eye contact out of me. Gently, seemingly forcing it like usual, he spoke. "You will find her." His words were always to the point, at least with me; he never gave any vague support like "I hope" or "maybe". Despite his aloofness toward me, he understood what I had been through and knew I was strong.  
    "I will." I smiled at him a little confidently, almost challenging him. "And you'll meet the spirit of your sacred sword."  
    He blinked a couple times, big eyes wider than usual.  
    It took a long time for the castle to fall out of my sight. It was to my back as I first headed east - I had no interest in being near the sweltering region of Eldin, which would have smothered me even in the emerging autumn. I took out the map once in a while to look at the world I lived in; I recognized a lot of the places, and saw all the places I still hadn't been. In months of traveling, I hadn't seen even half of this world.  
    It was incredible.


	12. Chapter 12

    In the Akkala region, the leaves of trees were always bright with autumn colors, no matter the time of year. The area had a fiery feel to it, which expressed itself in the monsters I ran into. Nothing too dangerous, I was glad to discover.      
    And there were horses. Of course, I noted to myself. There were horses everywhere. And while the stabled horses of the castle were wonderful in their own way, I had missed the untamed ferocity of their wild cousins. It wasn't long before I was back to my old ways, leaping onto the back of a random mare and feeling so proud once I managed to quiet her. It seemed that these horses, though it had been countless generations, could almost remember their intended relationship with humans.  
    With assorted wild horses I was able to cross the land much more quickly. I made sure never to ride them too far from their herds. I passed through several stables, and some people were delighted to see me. I was still, to my satisfaction, known as the "wild horse girl". But this time I had a direct mission, and couldn't stop for days to teach teenagers how to support themselves.  
    "I'm looking for someone." I leaned over the edge of the stable counter, stretching my tired legs. I showed everyone the picture Zelda had drawn, and described Fi's behavior based on what I had heard. Really, the only piece of information I needed was "blue hair", but my further descriptions were able to convince even the most suspicious that I had good intentions.  
    "I've seen her." A young man stepped through the small crowd up to me. "The blue haired maiden of the forest. Yeah, I know her."  
    I turned to him but didn't speak, meeting his eyes.  
    He was wearing several cloaks despite the only moderate cold, and they mostly obscured his body. Atop his head was a sort of cap from which tangles of light hair emerged. Only his pale-skinned face was visible. All of his clothes were a dark, faded purple. "She headed more north. This was only a few days ago."  
    I stepped toward him and realized he was shorter than I was. I tried not to look too strongly down at him.  
    He was smiling a crooked smile. "Be careful, young one. She seemed to be in a bad mood." His eyes were a surprisingly bright shade of red-brown.  
    I squinted and, without saying a word, mounted my un-tacked horse and took off again. I felt his almost-familiar eyes on my back as we galloped.  
  
    We took the east road that split off from the stable's location, heading toward the Akkala Tower. Arrival came quickly, but I found myself having no desire to climb it once I got there.  
    "I don't know." I dismounted my horse and pushed her away lightly, but she stayed where she was, grazing. "I don't want to accuse that man of anything without evidence, and I didn't want to attack him in front of people."  
    The only sound besides the wind was the rhythmic crunching of horse teeth on grass.  
    A very sudden panic took me, and I quickly re-mounted and spurred my horse to run. Despite nothing following us and no other sounds, I got us onto the road and turned back the way we had come. My heart was pounding and my vision blurred slightly.  
    My horse snorted at me and slowed to a trot once we were a ways down the road, and we continued at the medium pace.  
    I clung to her mane until my knuckles were white. I tried to force my hand open and stroked the fur of her neck to calm myself down. "What's wrong with me?" I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "I'm sorry girl, I won't do that again. I promise." I craned my head around to look behind me, but the road was empty. A bird hovered in the sky in the distance. Ahead of us was nothing.  
    When the smells of a gentle fire and comforting food first reached us, I turned off to the right. Pushing my horse up a steep hill, then down the other side, we hit the other road.  
    "This is the way to go." I murmured out loud, not sure why I was feeling such a strong pull. " _This_ road." I repeated it, as if trying to convince myself. My head was still spinning, and I kept running my hand across soft fur to gather my thoughts.  
  
    "You're clever." The voice split the air and startled my horse, her body jolting under me.  
    Luckily for me, she stayed put. I whirled my head around searching for the source of it.  
    "Up here." It was familiar, the sound coming from atop the cliff that flanked us. The figure that had been waiting suddenly jumped, the cloaks covering it billowing out as it sank toward the ground. It landed in front of us.  
    My horse threw her head and backed up several steps. Figuring she had reached the end of her tolerance for people, I dismounted and let her gallop away.  
    "Oh. Maybe not so clever."  
    I glared at the person standing in front of me, wrapped in his faded piles of fabric, his eyes looking slightly up at me.  
    He gave me a crooked smile, then lifted his head up and sighed. "I know I can't fool you anymore."  
    "You never did." I kept my hand on my sword's hilt. "I can see right through your sorcery, Vaati."  
    A weird look crossed his face when I said his name - was it happiness? "Oh," He sighed deeply. "I haven't heard my name in so long." As he unfolded himself from his cloaks, I started to notice things about him that I had missed in our short encounter at the stable. His pale, nearly white face held a degree of weariness I had only ever seen on the elderly. His eyes, once red, had in fact _faded_ to that shade of Akkala-leaf brown. He even removed his cap and let his lavender hair flow, disheveled and unkempt around his shoulders.  
    I relaxed my grip on my sword.  
    Vaati sighed again. "You aren't threatened at all."  
    "No."  
    "Rightfully so." He suddenly dropped himself to the ground, sitting cross-legged. His clothing resembled what I had always seen him wearing, but the colors were faded and several hems were frayed. His head lolled up to point at the sky. "I have been lost for a very long time, young hero."  
    I stood a little taller. "Yeah. Me too."  
    He shook his head. "No, no. You were only lost until you found your sword."  
    I narrowed my eyes.  
    Lazily, with an almost limp arm, he gestured behind him. "The sword you're  _looking_ for."  
    "She isn't a sword."  
    "Whatever." He shrugged and sagged forward. "Ever since then, you've been searching for her. You've never been lost. You've always had somewhere to go."  
    "And you don't have anywhere." I tried to restrain my smug grin, but couldn't. "Looks like everything has been catching up to you."  
    "I haven't seen you in a while." His eyes shone with the afternoon sun as he beckoned me closer.  
    I released my sword completely and approached him, then let myself fall to the ground, copying his leg position but keeping my posture strong. "Um, yeah." I was a little confused at what I was feeling, or rather, what I _wasn't_ feeling - no anger, no hate. No desire to wring his pasty neck in my hands or bash his skull on a nearby rock, as I had so often fantasized about.  
    He looked positively... pathetic. No longer was he the proud sorcerer imbued with the might of dark powers, or even the misled Minish student of my old friend Ezlo. He was... _nothing_.  
    "What happened to you?" I asked, curious, almost caring.  
    Another sigh. "I don't know. A lot. Everything, nothing." He couldn't look at me. "The world is cruel when you're a Hylian with such a strange appearance, with nothing to show for it."  
    So he really _had_ lost his powers. And yet, even without his original hat, he hadn't returned to being a Minish. I thought, maybe that was fortunate. What use does a Minish have in a world like _this_?  
    "There is no magic left in me." He slowly pushed himself to his feet, wincing as if he was in pain. "And with that magic went my will." He was looking down now, but still avoided my eyes. "Any remaining desire I had to harm you went away when you confronted me at the stable."  
    I stood too, staring at him.  
    "You're still strong. You tame wild animals and wear jewelry of Zora royalty. You've found your place in the world." He turned his fine-boned face up to me finally, his eyes welling up. "...But what am _I_? What point do I have anymore?"  
    I bit my tongue to stop myself from telling him he had no point to begin with, besides being a horrible annoyance. "Well." I put my hands on my hips. "You were looking for me, weren't you?"  
    His face colored slightly. "When I heard the tales, I knew it had to be you."  
    "And what did you think I'd do to you when I found you?"  
    "Allow me to finally rest."  
    I recoiled. "Well. Maybe um, a long time ago." I thought back to the last time I had seen Vaati. It had been so long, I could barely keep the worlds straight in my head. I honestly couldn't place the exact time. "But now... I don't feel like it."  
    I looked at his pathetic, drooping frame. He looked like he was about to crumble to pieces in front of me. It was honestly sad to see, compared to the proud and powerful sorcerer he had once been.  
    "You didn't try to return to, um, our world?"  
    His expression was blank.  
    I flushed. "Oh right, no more magic. Uh, how did that happen?"  
    A hint of anger in his eyes. "Impalement by the sacred sword you carried. It drained my magic, but trapped me like this as opposed to returning me to my... _original_ form." He spoke the emphasized word with gritted teeth.  
    "You sound like you'd rather die than go back to being a Minish."  
    He looked like he wanted to retaliate, but he just gave me a look of resignation. It was somehow more disturbing than hearing the words.  
    My attitude toward rage and revenge had changed quite a bit. Over all the time I spent searching for Fi, I became less and less angry with Vaati. Meeting so many people, I started to understand him a little bit. He had been overtaken by greed, which was a decidedly universal weakness. He was so young when it all had happened, too. As was I, I realized. I was only a young teenager when he had raided my town and transformed me into a Minish.  
    I couldn't help smiling as I reminisced, and Vaati noticed. "What's so funny?"  
    "You, I guess." Cautiously, I offered him my hand. "I'm gonna keep looking for Fi. Are you gonna keep following me?"  
    "Maybe." He crossed his arms and turned slightly away from me, pouting. "I don't know."  
    "Listen." I took another step toward him. "It's not like I trust you, but I really don't think you were looking for me in order to attack me again."  
    Silence.  
    "Did you want my help?"  
    Nothing.  
    "You said I'm _still_ strong. That means you thought I always was. Which contradicts what you always said to me."  
    He scowled.  
    "Vaati, we're both a long way from where we came from. I tried to go home for a long time, but gave up after I found Fi. Kinda like she was... my new home."  
    He gave me a look, and I blushed out of a combination of embarrassment and frustration.  
    "What I'm _saying_ is... you can make a new life for yourself. Sometimes trying to get back to where you _were_ isn't possible."  
    "I know that."  
    "I mean maybe it's not where you're _supposed_ to go."  
    He faced me again, arms still folded. "You believe in some sort of destiny, Nuke? Like things are predetermined?"  
    "No." I could state it outright. "The opposite. I mean, look at Fi. She was 'destined' to be dormant inside the Master Sword, but I've been fighting against literal gods, tooth and nail, to stop it from happening."  
    "And where has it gotten you?"  
    I paused, then put my arms out to my sides. "...Here. It's gotten me here, to this particular world. I've been here for almost a full year, and I've realized, I like it here. I think I wanna stay."  
    "You've said that before." He smirked, and I knew he was referring to Aboda.  
    "But this time, I don't have you on my tail." I put my hands on my hips and leered at him. "You can't do a damn thing to me anymore. Once I find Fi, our lives are ours. We can stay here if we want."  
    The realization crept through his face, and his eyes clouded.  
    "With all your nonsense, you wound up 'trapping' yourself here, too. So why not at least try to make the most of it?"  
    "I don't fit in in these places."  
    "Oh, like I do?" I gestured to myself dramatically. "Vaati, look at me! I'm some weird Hylian who talks about other worlds and jumps on wild horses. I've been chasing a sword spirit across four different Hyrules because I _love_ her and I just want to be with her. She made me give up trying to get back to a home you tore me away from!"  
    For the first time since I had first met him, Vaati smiled a true, gentle smile. "...That's the first time I've heard you say those feelings for her out loud."  
    My face was already red from my ranting, so I didn't care. "Listen." I reached out and grabbed his left wrist, wrenching it out from underneath his other. "I'm not going to fight you anymore. I've grown up and I don't _care_ about you anymore."  
    He flinched.  
    "I don't care about wanting to kill you, I mean! But." I relaxed my grip on his wrist, and shifted so I was holding his hand instead. "I've been through so much, and it's taught me a lot. I've seen things from a thousand perspectives. Including yours. I can help you."  
    He didn't fight my hold on him.  
    "So, Vaati, would you try giving me a chance? To help you make your own home?"  
    His eyes were half-lidded, and he was frowning again. I had tried before. I tried talking to him, begging him to stop all the magic and mischief, to give that all up and just try _living_ instead of hurting people. Back then, he had never listened. He was young, too, like I was. Through the years we had given each other countless beatings, set each other on fire, and I had stabbed him more than once.  
    But I never lost faith in him. Sure, I had hated him. I had _said_ I wanted to kill him, to get revenge for what he had done to me. I had been torn from my family, from my Minish friends, from people all over countless worlds I had grown to love. He took me from Linebeck and Alfonzo and I had always been so, so angry.  
    But when he took me from Fi, my feelings were different. I became less angry at him separating us. I became angry at Hylia's _treatment_ of her - she didn't put Fi back into the sword simply to keep us apart, but because she believed Fi wasn't worth the life she was living. And all I wanted was for her to live that life. I fought to find her, to wake her up, to let her continue being the person she was. I traveled across two worlds to find her as a dormant sword, then another two looking for a blue-haired, sullen-eyed girl with a jewel in her forehead.  
    At one point, I had forgotten all about Vaati.  
    He was nodding as I spoke to him, staring at the ground. He let both of his hands be held, though they were limp.  
    "Follow me if you want." I finally released him, then walked right past him. "I'll feed you, I'll protect you from monsters, I'll teach you how to properly wield a sword and shoot a bow. If you try to hurt me, I won't kill you, I'll just leave you to the wolves. They love pathetic creatures like you."  
    He didn't turn to me.  
    "I'll even stop Fi from killing you, when I find her. She's no doubt a lot angrier than I am." Not getting a response, I kept walking. There wasn't anything more I could say. Whatever path he decided to take was his, at that point. He could follow me and listen to me, or he could keep wandering and be miserable. Or, even further, he could fling himself off a cliff. All I knew was that I was going to keep living _my_ life. "Vaati." I stopped to give him one last bit. "I can only help you if you let yourself _be_ helped. So goodbye, maybe."  
    When I kept walking, the only footsteps I heard were my own.


	13. Chapter 13

The area became wooded. I was traveling at a decent pace despite having released my horse, but it still became dark before I could break out of the trees. A little annoyed at having spent so much time yelling in Vaati's pathetic face, I climbed a sturdy-looking tree and started setting up my hammock.  
"I'm assuming you only have one cloak."  
Startled out of my mind, I spun and fell right out of the tree, hitting the ground. I was stunned, but not injured.  
Vaati was perched in the tree, watching me with a blank expression. "So do you?"  
 _Don't_ get mad, I tried to tell myself as I stood and brushed off my sore body. "Only one." I said as calmly as I could. "I guess you left your _fifty_ on the ground back there. We could always make camp on the ground."  
He shrugged and hopped to the base of the tree. He had shed his concealing robes, now wearing only the worn tunic and cap underneath.  
I was surprised that he helped me set up the camp. I propped up a small three-sided tent that Zelda had stuffed into one of my packs, and got to work starting a fire. I asked Vaati if he was hungry.  
He shook his head, and mumbled something about being decent at fishing.  
"Well," I pulled a fist full of berries out of my bag, and handed them to him. "You can't survive on just fish. Look how _pale_ you are."  
He didn't appreciate my joke, but took the berries with a nod and started nibbling at them. His eyes noticeably lit up after the first couple bites.  
I felt a little prideful.  
Soon it was completely dark, and I gestured for Vaati to settle into the tent. "It's not big enough for both of us, so I'll go back to the tree."  
He watched me climb, the embers of our dying fire still glowing on his face. Once I had rigged up my cloak hammock, I heard him settle underneath the small tent.  
Part of me worried about sleeping so close to someone who had been my mortal enemy for the past several years, but most of me was fine with it. I wasn't convinced he was putting on some sort of act - the misery and weakness in his eyes was very real. I had seen it before. I knew Vaati wasn't a monster - just a misguided youth who was suffering the consequences of his stupid, stupid decisions.  
We were both able to sleep soundly.

The mountain sprawled out all around me. I wasn't far from the peak, but its jagged cliffs spiraled down at my feet threateningly. It was wide and very flat in places. A moment before, I had tripped over an old pitchfork. That was right before I discovered the very deliberately planted grove of apple trees. And at the edge of the grove was a tent, neglected and grown over with plants.  
A blue glow descended upon the mountain. I shivered, realizing I didn't have my cloak, and held my arms together. I continued up the path, though it barely was one, heading toward where the cliffside opened up into a sort of cave.  
The air was heavy with fog. I squinted to try to see ahead of me. I passed through the small cave and found the other side quickly, where another clearing lay.  
There was a single tree, by a small pond. It was tall and, despite the discolored air, I could tell it had pink petals. Odd, I thought, considering it wasn't anywhere near spring. The pond was filled with the fallen petals, floating on the gently disturbed surface.  
The source of the glow stood in the center of the water. It was bright, and hard to make out. I crept toward it as quietly as I could. Its head was down and it didn't seem to notice my approach at all.  
It looked like a horse. It had a huge, luminescent blue body. As I got closer I saw swirling gold markings appear across it, fading in and out. Through the water I could see it had gold, cloven hooves. It had a mane and tail that were a lighter blue. From behind, it truly did look like an otherworldly horse.  
I took my eyes off it for a moment and, when I looked back, it was gone. The fog remained. Baffled, I stood up and walked down into the pond, wading in up to my knees. The water was very warm, and barely made a sound as I moved through it.  
A sound startled me and I whirled around, actually falling backwards when I saw what was behind me. I sat in the water, bracing myself with my arms, too confused to think about how the water wasn't actually making my clothes wet.  
The beast rotated its great head, staring down at me with four, individually blinking yellow eyes. It had two faces that were separated by a waterfall of its long, light blue hair. There was a long tuft of it on the far sides of the faces, and a separate sort of mane wrapped around and flowed down its neck. Atop its head were what I thought were two great, golden sets of antlers, but they looked more like ferns, of all things.  
I knew I should've been feeling terror. This was some sort of monster, a spirit that planned to drag me back to its world with it. I wanted to spring to my feet and run, run off that mountain, and vow never to return to it.  
But it just watched me, turning its head in different directions. Its behavior was like an owl, and I realized the two faces looked to belong to said bird... It lowered its face to me and made a quiet warbling noise.  
Slowly, I was able to get to my feet, though I didn't feel like I was controlling my body.  
It stepped closer, its legs swishing through the water and its odd hooves echoing against the stone beneath.  
I reached out, smiling when it didn't flinch. I didn't know what it was, or if I could even touch it, but-  
It brushed the side of its head against my hand. Its fur was like silk, but so light that it barely felt solid. When it pulled away, a glow lingered on my skin for only a second.  
"What are you?" I couldn't help but ask, a little surprised at how my voice echoed despite the area being open.  
It just kept looking at me, its eyes all blinking at different times. It leaned closer. When I didn't move, it continued until the flowing hair on its face pressed against my forehead. The free part hung over my face.  
I recoiled a little as the hair got stuck to my lips, spitting it out. "Really, what-"  
In a split second it had turned itself to the side and violently slammed against me.  
My reflexes made me claw at it, and I very suddenly found myself sitting on its back. I froze in fear.  
It started to move at a walking pace, but only went as far as the edge of the cliff. It made another strange, echoing neigh-like sound, and bobbed its head toward the distance.  
The fog cleared around my vision as I peered out in the direction it was looking, between its antlers. "What?" I asked it, though it probably couldn't understand me. Recognizing landmarks in the distance, I saw it was facing the southeast. "What's over there?" I dug my hands into its main coat of fur, which was just as soft as the mane.  
It made another sound, and turned back to look at me as best as it could. Two of its eyes blinked absently.  
In my head, I heard a voice speak.  
_"Malanya."_

Vaati was awake before me. He was sitting by the newly-lit fire, poking at it. He looked up at me when I stirred, but stayed quiet.  
I joined him by the fire, sitting cross-legged. The sun was already fully up.  
"You were talking in your sleep." He said flatly. "It's late morning, but I didn't want to wake you up."  
"That's fine." I gave an internal sigh of relief that he hadn't tried to kill me. Despite my confidence that he was harmless at that point, there was still always a part of me worrying. "Let's have a quick breakfast before we get going."  
"Sure."  
I snatched a couple of eggs from a nearby tree and threw them onto the makeshift cooking pot I had brought along, adding in a couple mushrooms.  
Vaati was staring at the food intently. "...It smells delicious."  
"Tastes even better." When it was finally done cooking, I set the slab of metal between us. "Just be careful, it's hot."  
His face when he took the first bite was to die for. I knew he would be excited, seeing how much he enjoyed some simple berries.  
Without a lot of fanfare we were on our way, after packing up the tent and extinguishing the fire. Vaati trailed a bit behind me, so I made sure to keep my pace slow.  
"Don't slow down for my sake." Of course he noticed. "I can always wind up ahead of you if I want to."  
I slowed down even more and walked by his side. "Oh? I thought you said you were out of magic." I regretted saying it, remembering it was probably a sore spot for him.  
Luckily, he didn't mind, and he even chuckled. "Hylians are just easy to misdirect."  
When we came to a large quarry, I started to walk around its west side, but Vaati paused.  
"Are you sure you know where you're going?"  
"Hey, _you're_ the one who told me she was this way. Or were you lying?"  
"I wasn't."  
"Alright, then hurry up." I ignored the sigh that came from behind me as I made my way across the slightly treacherous cliffs. "Unless you're afraid."  
His footsteps quickened.  
We passed a shrine and wound up in a wooded area. Vaati paused by the great glowing structure and laid his hand on it.  
"These things are so interesting. Shrines, right?" His voice had lightened, and he sounded almost happy. After getting a bit of history about them from me, he started matching my pace as we continued walking.  
"Hrm." I pressed my lips tightly together as we walked through the dense wood. "Something about this place feel weird to you?"  
Vaati looked around and pointed out a couple of deer who were watching us. "Not really. Why?"  
"I dunno." I stopped to listen to the sounds of nature. Nothing seemed different; I heard the usual birds for the region and a buck scraping his antlers against a tree. "It's just..."  
Vaati cried out and flung his hands toward me.  
When I whirled around, I saw he was holding an arrow. My eyes went wide.  
He scowled, his sharp teeth showing prominently, and faced where the arrow had come from. "There _is_ someone here."  
From somewhere in the trees, a cackle sounded. Then another. Judging by the several other voices that chimed in, we were surrounded.  
Lights ignited around us, and in puffs of smoke, six red-clad figured appeared. They wore masks with the symbol of the Sheikah over their faces, and they all clutched strange curved bows.  
"Intruders!" One called out, aiming his bow at us. "How _dare_ they come all this way, to our little hideout?"  
"I know!" Another called, laughing obnoxiously. "I guess we'll have to go out of our way-"  
"-and kill them!" A third finished, and they all laughed in unison, bows drawn.  
Vaati and I were back to back, frozen. We were probably trying to eye each other nervously, but we couldn't see. I didn't have time to draw my sword, and it wouldn't have been any protection against their arrows.  
As it turned out, we didn't need the protection. A burst of flame erupted behind one of the ambushers, and he cried out in pain. There was another shot, then another, moving in a circle around our attackers.  
Vaati and I took the opportunity to get out of the way. We split up and darted off into the woods as the mysterious assassins started to panic, yelling at each other and pointing wildly. In the chaos, we lost sight of each other.  
There was a pounding of delicate hooves from behind me, and I yelped as I felt myself grabbed and hoisted up onto-  
...A deer?  
I was clinging to the neck of a stag. I was jolted around as he ran, springing in jumping steps.  
"Hold on to him so you don't fall."  
A flash of freezing cold struck through my body and I went numb. I was only vaguely aware of the deer running away from the densely wooded spot, back toward the shrine. We passed the structure and I finally lost my grip, tumbling off of the animal and to the ground.  
The mysterious rider made a quiet sound, and the hoofbeats stopped.  
I looked up, my head spinning and my left leg hurting from an awkward fall.  
Above me loomed a figure atop the impressive stag. They were backlit by the sun, and their face was mostly obscured by a large, dark hood. On their back was the bow they had, presumably, used to scare off whoever had been attacking Vaati and I.  
Shakily, I got to my feet and looked my savior in the eye.  
They were eyes I knew.  
I was silent.  
The rider lifted their - _her_ \- arms, and dropped the cloak from her head. Her hair - her _blue, blue hair_ \- fluttered gently from the disturbance; the front curled down to frame her face, and the back reached her shoulders before flaring out. She smiled at me.  
I couldn't say her name.  
"I thought I would never find you in this vast world." Her voice was quiet, as it always was. Her expression was gentle, and her eyes shone bright blue.  
"...Fi." I managed to spit out, clumsily, my shoulders sagging.  
Before me was Fi - _my_ Fi. She was wearing the rugged clothes of an adventurer and brandished a bow. She was perched atop a stag as if it were a normal work animal. Her face was elegantly defined as I remembered it, and her large eyes were watching me with curiosity. "Yes, Master Nuke." I detected mischievousness when she spoke my disliked title. "We have... finally found each other."  
"You're riding a deer." Was all I could manage after a moment, still dumbstruck.  
"Yes," She smiled at her steed, then back at me. "This is Tiliron. He has become a companion of mine."  
"That's... wow."  
"Nothing compared to you." She dismounted from the makeshift saddle, and kept a grip on the light rope that served as reins. "I have been hearing so many tales of you riding wild horses and the like."  
I nodded, my mouth hanging slightly open. It was still a bit much to take in.  
"Um," Came a voice from behind us. "What's going on?"  
Fi's deer let out a high-pitched sound and reared slightly on his back legs, turning to face the stranger with what seemed like rage.  
"Easy!" Fi pulled his reins and patted his neck to calm him. "Be calm, Tili. It's alright." She looked up, as well, to the sad figure that approached us. Her head whirled back to me. "Nuke, that is _Vaati_."  
I smiled and shrugged, stepping up beside her to meet him as he approached. "He's not a threat to us anymore."  
"That, I could surely tell."  
"Excuse me!" Vaati stomped, pouting indignantly. "That's rude!"  
Completely ignoring him, Fi spoke to me again. "You seem very weary, Nuke. Perhaps we should return to the Akkala Stable for rest."  
My smile was crooked. I didn't feel very weary. "I'm okay, but I wouldn't mind heading back."  
"You're spoiled now." Vaati crossed his arms. "Living in the castle and being waited on."  
I started. "How did you know that?"  
"People talk about more than the horses you ride, Princess' pet."  
"Listen, you-"  
"Don't fight." Fi laid her hand softly on my raised fist, and smiled at me.  
My knees felt weak and I dropped my arm. "Uh, r-right. Sorry. I guess I _am_ a little spoiled now."  
"There is nothing wrong with that."  
Vaati rolled his eyes, and his entire head, so hard they threatened to fall out of his head. "Great. I have to deal with _this_ now, too?"  
"No one is commanding you to stay." Fi's tone went hard as she shot him a look.  
"Um, let's go!" Grabbing Fi's wrist I trotted forward, heading back down the road from where Vaati and I had come. "To the stable, right?" My voice was shaking, and so was the rest of me. I felt the skin of Fi's wrist under my palm and had trouble believing it was actually real.  
The three (well, four) of us headed silently down the path together. Tiliron's footsteps were the quietest. His shoulders stood only a bit above mine, but his broad chest made his frame intimidating. His small head, adorned with massive twin racks of antlers, was tilted toward me the entire time.  
I eyed him nervously. "What does he want?" I whispered out of the corner of my mouth.  
Fi squeezed my hand, which she was now holding fully. "He's just curious about you. Don't worry, he is quite friendly once you get to know him."  
"It's a deer." Vaati was walking with his arms crossed a couple feet behind us. "It doesn't have much of a brain."  
"You hush." I called over my shoulder. "Just because you have _no_ friends doesn't mean animals can't be _someone's_."  
Fi's laugh was like ringing bells. It seemed like an eternity since I had last heard such a beautiful sound. "Speaking of them," She calmed herself and looked at me seriously. "I came to this region in search of you because of a... story that I've been hearing."  
"Oh?"  
"About a wild horse that lives in the area. Apparently a black mare has been acting out wildly toward humans. I came here in hopes that you had, also... perhaps to tame her."  
I nodded a few times as she spoke. "I think I've heard about her. Not in detail, though."  
"They call her the Shadow of Akkala due to how elusive she is. Though some say her mane and tail are like moonlight - the only parts of her that are not pitch black."  
"Hm." I hadn't seen a horse like that in any of my travels. "Sounds beautiful. Do the accounts sound credible to you?"  
"Yes. All across the region there have been matching reports. I estimate a..." She trailed off, looking to the west briefly. "Um,"  
I couldn't contain a childish grin. "Oh, Fi, that habit of yours..."  
A blush spread across her pale cheeks and nose. "I forgot I no longer have that ability."  
I could almost hear Vaati rolling his eyes again.


	14. Chapter 14

We returned to the stable with a bit of fanfare due to Fi's... _interesting_ choice in companion. To even _my_ surprise, Tiliron stabled alongside the horses and had no problem being handled. The only thing he had to watch out for was the roof, due to his antlers.  
The three of us settled around the outdoor fire. I started planning a meal as, interestingly, Fi and Vaati began... chatting.  
They talked about themselves. They were both slightly _unconventional_ beings, so they actually wound up having a lot in common. They laughed together about their current lack of real abilities. Vaati spoke of his time as a Minish, and his reaction when he first reached "normal" Hylian height and saw the true size of his village... Fi in turn described how it felt to reside in a sword.  
"Oh, that's right." I had a mouth full of mushrooms and tried to swallow quickly. "The Master Sword, uh..." I looked off in the vague direction of the castle. "It's..."  
"It exists in this world, yes?" It was very early afternoon, but the fire was still reflecting in her eyes brightly. "I have heard tales of the castle, of the knight... this world's version of my old Master."  
"Yeah." I internally sighed, glad I didn't have to tell the entire story.  
"Will that be our next destination?"  
I nodded, seeing Vaati stiffen. "Don't worry. It'll be safe there for you, too."  
He shrunk into himself. "But... what will I _do_?"  
I shrugged. "They'll find something, trust me. Maybe you can help with rebuilding the castle. It still needs a lot of repairs."  
"Do my arms look strong to you? I was a _sorcerer_ , not a warrior."  
"The interior, then!" I threw my arms up in frustration and tried to ignore Fi's growing smile. "I don't know, Vaati! Maybe stop complaining for a minute and they can _work_ with you!"  
He was quiet after that.  
"Excuse me?" A voice came from behind me. "I'm sorry, I hate to bother you-"  
When I turned, I was a little startled to see a Rito. I had met only a small handful of them on my journey, but this one in particular looked very different.  
He was very colorful, with a hooked beak. In his hands he held a musical instrument I recognized as an accordion. "I couldn't help overhearing you speaking of the castle and whatnot. You wouldn't happen to be the Maiden of Horses, would you?"  
Oh, boy. "It's Nuke."  
"Ah, yes, my apologies, Maiden Nuke-"  
"No, just Nuke is fine!" I smiled, feeling bad about the misunderstanding. "I just meant I don't need titles."  
He eyed a seat next to me.  
"Go ahead."  
He sat down, and placed his instrument on the ground in front of him, then turned to me again. "I have heard much about your travels. I was wondering if I may have a word?"  
"Well, you're having one now."  
He threw his head to the sky and laughed. "Oho! You truly do have humor as they say!" When he looked across the fire, he flinched at the two pairs of eyes glaring back at him. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Kass. I'm a traveler, and a storyteller. I love to sing songs I've woven from the tales I've heard!" He spread his wings. "I thought I would attempt to learn some more from you three!"  
"I am Fi, Nuke's companion." She spoke, sitting up straighter and not softening her expression. "This is Vaati." She gestured to him dismissively.  
Vaati said nothing.  
"A pleasure to meet you both." Kass bowed lightly, closing his eyes. "Truly, Miss Fi, you must be as extraordinary as your companion here. Taming and riding a deer is no small feat."  
"Well," Fi looked back at her mount, chomping away at oats in the stable. "If I were any taller, I would not have been able to. Even stags are not strong like horses." It was still very much like her to dismiss any compliments.  
"And speaking of those," Kass turned to me. "Nuke, horses are _your_ particular area of expertise, yes?"  
I flushed. "I wouldn't call it expertise, really. Just an understanding."  
His feathered brow furrowed. "Perhaps you have heard the stories of the Shadow of Akkala?"  
I grinned and shot a look to Fi. "Here and there, but I only got the details today from my Lady."  
Even from across the fire, I could tell the color in her cheeks was not from the flames.  
"Well," He picked up the accordion and cleared his throat. "If you three would not mind a song? I know one of this mysterious beast that may help to, shall I say, shed some light on the subject."  
Vaati groaned.

Kass really was quite the storyteller. He stood as he started playing his song, which eventually attracted an audience. The lyrics were mostly vague references to brief encounters with the black mare, but one verse in particular caught my attention:  
_Born for man under a full moon_  
_A cloud-split night sky's only boon_  
_Quick like a shadow, she could not be contained_  
_Her hair like starlight, in the wild she remained_

After the song, I asked him about it. From what he knew, the horse had actually been captive-born, but monsters had raided the outpost where she lived. The few survivors reported that all of their horses had been taken by the beasts.  
"So _that's_ where they get their horses." I snarled when I thought of the riding bokoblins, painful memories of Tempest being brought back. "Also explains why my old horse was so tame."  
"It was probably one stolen by the monsters." Kass gave me a solemn nod of sympathy, understanding my use of tense. "But apparently, this one couldn't be caught. She escaped from the monsters, and the people who have seen her reason that she is seeking revenge against those who ravaged her home."  
"Makes sense." Vaati nodded, eyes closed. I hadn't even realized he was awake. "The monsters tore her away from where she lived, so now she's storming across the world, wanting to sink her hooves into them." The parallels of his statement to my own situation weren't lost on me, but the expression I made was one of pride. He grinned right back over at me.  
"But she has gotten out of control, it seems." Fi spoke up, frowning. "I have heard that she attacks food stores at night, and has even gone after people."  
"It is worrisome, to be sure!" Kass packed away his instrument and bowed to us again. "Thank you very much for your time, and for listening to my tale."  
"It was wonderful!" Fi clapped her hands together. "If we see you along our way, we will be sure to listen more, Kass."  
I beamed and agreed, bidding the Rito goodbye. I thought back to Fi's face when she had first heard music that wasn't her own singing - she had been absolutely astonished and, had she been able to, she probably would have cried.

I started preparing my things to go on a hunt, but the innkeeper stopped me quickly.  
"She only comes to settlements at night." I didn't bother asking how she already knew what I was doing. Of course, she had heard Kass' song, and knew who he was singing it to. "You best try to set a trap for her, or something of the like."  
A trap for a horse could be dangerous, especially one like the Shadow, with such a reputation. There was no way I could build a durable fence in time.  
Fi and Vaati offered their input, agreeing to stake out the stable with me overnight. We made sure the horses - and Tiliron - were securely shut in their stalls, and started to set up a "trap". It was mostly apples and grains scattered about the ground, which would definitely catch her attention if she happened to be in the area. The poor stabled horses gazed over their stall doors longingly at what they considered wasted food.  
"Sorry," I made sure to pat every individual nose as I walked by. "If she doesn't show, you guys get to eat it all, don't worry."  
We camped nearby, surrounding our quarters with apples and other fruits in an attempt to mask our scents. Or rather, Fi and Vaati did. I elected to perch myself in a tree, with a perfect view of the area below. We'd decided against corralling her completely, sure that it would only lead to property damage and possible injuries - for both four-legged _and_ two-legged participants.  
I had my rope at the ready. When Fi had asked about it, I was only able to sputter a response, to which she gave me a knowing smile. She _had_ told me not to wait, or "starve myself" for her, which meant she wanted me to open up to people. Sometimes, it would wind up leading to something else. She had told me very directly that she didn't mind, as it seemed almost destined that we be torn apart constantly.  
"Nuke," Her voice floated up the trunk of the tree. "Vaati and I will be in the tent, keeping watch. We will alert you if we see or hear anything."  
I nodded to her, running my hands over the braided leather. I had roped dozens of horses with the lasso at that point, and it showed absolutely no signs of wear. I hoped it would be enough to hold such a wild and angry horse as this mysterious Shadow.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ends abruptly because I got tired and there's gonna be a timeskip after it sorry! there you go

It was hard not to doze off. I focused on counting the loops of leather as I thumbed the rope in my hands. I tried thinking about Fi, which only made me more tired. I honestly wanted nothing more than to crawl into that tent, no matter how shabby it was, and sleep next to her for the first time in I had no idea how long.  
One skill I had become particularly proud of was my hearing. I could attune it sharply even in loud environments like busy markets, and could pick out individual conversations. In the dead of night, it was even sharper.  
The moon was full, giving us plenty of light. The travelers and everyone else at the stable had promised to keep their quietest, and even the horses seemed to comply. There was no hint of a breeze, so the dried leaves were as silent as if they had already fallen.  
But atop those already fallen, from the east, came a sound. It was a single crunch, then a pause, then more quiet steps. Focusing, I could tell it was the gait of a barefoot horse. The footsteps were even, but cautious as they approached.  
I twisted my sword carefully, silently, into a blade of moonlight. It flashed across the stable yard, hidden from the source of the sound by the tree's trunk. In response I saw another flash from within the tent, also obscured on the crucial side. They saw my signal, and were prepared for action, need it occur.  
I didn't move. Not even my head. I focused on a spot on the ground below me, listening to the approaching hooves. A bit of excitement bubbled up in my chest as I thought about how beautiful the mysterious mare must be - pitch black, but with a silvery mane and tail? It sounded amazing! Against my better judgment I turned my head - slowly, carefully - toward the hoofbeats as they entered the limits of the stable grounds.  
My heart sank into my feet and very well could have stopped beating.  
It was _not_ a horse. It was a great beast, with a lower body similar to a horse. From where the neck should have been rose a man's torso, but the face... oh, the face, it was a _monster!_ It had a wild mane of hair around its head and neck, and it carried weapons of all kinds on both of its backs. It was one of the most terrifying things I had ever seen; it towered over a standard horse, and its great body rippled with feral muscle. It had a white coat covered in striking black stripes, and massive horns rose from its forehead. I knew the name of it, but had only heard it in terrified recounts of shaken ex-warriors.  
It was a _Lynel._  
Immediately I sprang from the tree at it, screaming wildly and brandishing my sword.  
Taken honestly by surprise, it whirled and just barely missed a full strike by my blade. Its roar cracked the silence of the night, and it glared down at me with glowing red eyes, barring its massive fangs and scrambling for its huge sword.  
I got to my feet as quickly as possible and ran away from the stable. "Get me a horse!" I called to whoever was listening, and to my great relief saw that Fi was already a step ahead of me.  
The monster started charging at me, its hooves pounding the sleeping earth and shaking it beneath both of us. It swung its sword, if it could even be called that, roaring and foaming.  
_So this is the beast_ , I thought to myself. "You're the one who's been hurting people!" I managed to duck and avoid its clumsy strikes - the weapon it had looked almost like part of a building, a rectangular slab of rock that was made for _smashing_ , not accuracy. "You're not exactly a horse!" I couldn't help but grin.  
It roared at me again, almost like it was trying to respond, but it obviously couldn't form words like mine.  
"Get out of here!" I swung my sword at it when it faced me, stationary. "Take your hideous self and leave these poor people alone!"  
It swung a bow almost twice my size off of its shoulder and into its grip.  
My heart sank again, but the sound of much smaller hoofbeats got my attention. I turned and quickly seized the horse that Fi had spurred toward me, mounting it and taking off. In a flash I analyzed my current steed - a bay, around 15 hands. Shoed. Athletic. I had seen him this morning, he was carrying lumber in his packs. Strong.  
The Lynel was after us immediately. It shot off three arrows at once that narrowly missed my horse's feet.  
I tried to lead the Lynel away from the stable, but when I got too far, it started to turn back toward its quarry. Almost annoyed, I had to circle back and cut it off, screaming challenges at it. It didn't seem to consider me much of a threat, so I knew I had to _make_ it feel that way. I took a skillful detour through the narrow passage between the single tree and the stable, grabbing my bow and quiver from Fi. I knew approaching it on horseback would be a deadly mistake, so I opted to rely on my archery.  
Arrows did almost nothing to it. My flaming ones scorched its skin, but it pulled them out of itself effortlessly and crushed them in its hand. If anything, it only seemed to get more annoyed.  
I cursed to myself and chose the final plan in the bunch I had been forced to devise in split-second intervals: I would ride by it at full speed and strike at it until it either got annoyed and left, or one of us fell.  
A crowd had gathered, peering around from the front of the stable in horror. Through shouts and confusion, they managed to form a sort of mob that waved torches at the Lynel in an attempt to keep it away, or at least distract it.  
My idea of ride-by attacks seemed to work. In the process of sweeping by it several times, I managed to slice the string of its bow, rendering it useless.  
Or so I thought until it brandished it and threw it at me.  
It caught me so off-guard, I couldn't even duck. The enormous tool of metal and wood struck me with full force and I went tumbling from the galloping horse. The earth came to me far too quickly and I rolled to try to lessen the impact. I had no air in my lungs and my vision went white. I vaguely heard Fi yell my name, from so far away.  
I knew the Lynel was coming closer. It let out a triumphant cry and started running toward me - I could tell by the way the ground _shook_ as well as _spun_ beneath me. Not holding any weapons, it was planning to trample me.  
A piercing whinny split the air beside me, and my eardrums nearly with it. In the distraction that was my imminent doom galloping toward me at a blinding speed, I hadn't noticed another set of hooves coming up from behind me.  
Instinctively I tried rolling away from the sound, which had become a cacaphony of roars and high-pitched squeals. Still somehow able to focus my hearing, I detected two sets of hooves dancing around each other in the area I had laid only a minute ago. Realizing finally, luckily, that I wasn't very hurt, I got to my feet only to have Fi suddenly grab me in support.  
"Nuke, oh, please tell me you're alright!" Her voice was frantic and her eyes were wide with panic. "Are you hurt? Look at that _horrible_ beast!"  
I just gritted my teeth in its direction, squinting at the chaos. "I'm alright. Thank you, Fi. What's going on over there?'  
"It's the mare!"  
"What?" I lurched forward and my eyesight finally cleared.  
Fi was right, it _was_ the horse of legend. She had a sleek figure, blacker than the space between the stars. Her head was held high and was decorated with a shimmering white mane. A matching tail flowed behind her as she galloped circles around the Lynel, rearing and kicking at it. When the light of the moon caught her eyes, I saw they were _blue_.  
Gathering myself I ran toward her, gripping my beloved rope.  
"Are you crazy!?" Vaati's voice yelled a question I never needed to answer verbally.  
Dust filled the flat area that had become a battleground. The combatants took a brief pause, facing each other, the horse between the Lynel and the stable. I had never seen an animal look so angry. Her blue eyes were wide, the whites showing in pure rage, and her mouth hung open. From her teeth dripped the blue blood of the Lynel.  
I looked over at the monster and saw that it looked slightly tired, or at least dazed. A hoof-shaped gash was prominent on its bare chest, and several other wounds were bleeding freely.  
I couldn't help but smile, impressed, at the mare's efforts. I jumped when suddenly Fi was behind me, fixing my bow into my hands.  
"Use these. They fell from the Lynel." She helped me set the arrow, which had a strange bundle at the end of it. "Don't hit the horse."  
I knew what they were, and I could almost _feel_ my eyes glimmer. Quickly I took aim at the Lynel's legs and let the arrow fly.  
The mare reared and whinnied, stepping backwards and nearly tripping over a low fence.  
The bomb arrows seemed to work. The Lynel also reared but stumbled, falling to its knees and grabbing its eyes, temporarily blinded by the explosion.  
I took the chance and ran to it. In a moment of madness I swung myself up onto its back and threw my lasso over its head.  
The beast roared. It got to its feet shakily and started to thrash, throwing itself into the air, all four hooves leaving the ground.  
I managed to hang on. With the rope already fastened around my waist I gripped onto its thick mane with one hand, stabbing wildly with my sword in the other. The skin under its mane was sensitive, I quickly learned, and it began to take damage it had probably never imagined.  
The Lynel raised its head with a cry as it felt the tip of my sword sink between its shoulderblades. It was frozen where it stood, stunned by the pain.  
I did everything I could to pull my sword from it and, when it came free, I pulled the loose knot of my lasso to break it free and rolled off the creature's back to the ground. Prepared this time, I kept rolling until I was far enough from it.  
It was limping and covering its face, its white coat becoming more stained with blue by the second. It turned itself around with great effort, and started dragging itself away from the stable.  
When I lurched after it, a hand on my shoulder stopped me. I was surprised to see Vaati next to me, his eyes wide with all sorts of emotions.  
"Don't even think about it. It's leaving."  
I turned my attention back to the horse.  
She was also obviously exhausted, and had a few nicks on her. Her mane was splattered blue in places. Her legs were shaking.  
Quietly, I approached her.  
She was still extremely alert and snapped her gaze to me, head high. She nickered nervously and took a few sideways steps.  
"It's okay," I spoke in the gentlest voice I could muster, trying to calm the frenzy with which I was re-tying my lasso. "Look, you're hurt. Let me take care of you."  
She reared when I was close enough and, in an instant I was barely able to register, galloped off into the night. Her gait was perfect.  
I cursed. I had hoped she had been tired out by the battle and would be easier to catch, but I supposed it wasn't my night. I looked down at my clothes. I was covered in both colors of blood, I realized. Oh. I heard my name spoken before I felt a rush of dizziness hit me. I fell to my knee and gently laid my head on the ground. Finally, I had learned how to properly pass out.

"That horse is so _wild_." Was the first thing I said when I came to the next morning. I had been cleaned up and given fresh clothes during the night, and luckily didn't have any serious injuries. Just a few bruises. "Did you see her, Fi? The look in her eyes!"  
The look in _Fi's_ eyes was of utter annoyance, and she wouldn't make eye contact. "You went after that beast with no preparation. You could have been killed." She was fussing over me, re-dressing my moderate wounds.  
"I've been through worse!"  
She looked up at me and sadness overpowered her angry glare. "I won't lose you again."  
I sighed. "I'm sorry, Fi. I wasn't going to let that thing hurt anyone."  
"It _did_ hurt someone."  
"Besides me!"  
" _You_ matter the most out of everyone I've ever met in the world!"  
"You two are so gross sometimes." Vaati was leaning against the doorframe. He was dressed in fresh clothes, as well. They were brighter and cleaner than his old garb. "How far away is the castle? I dunno how long I can handle this."  
"We're not going to the castle." I smiled despite Fi's disapproving stare. "At least not yet. Not until I get that horse."  
" _Get_ her?" I had never heard Fi so upset with me, and it was almost adorable. "She probably will never return to this place given the circumstance."  
"I don't think so, look at what happened!" I gently pulled my arm away from her fussing and sat fully up in the bed. "I think the people have the stories all wrong. I think that horse has been _protecting_ people from the _Lynel_ the whole time!"  
They both blinked at me.  
"Did the horse even remotely care about any of the food we left out for her? No! And she only showed up when the Lynel did!"  
"Well, she _was_ being attacked." Vaati shrugged. "She didn't have much time to eat."  
"Even after it left, though." I pointed at him dramatically. "You saw it! She ran away and left all the food!"  
"I believe it!" A small voice came from behind a nearby support pillar, and a little girl stepped out. "I saw it last night. I saw you and that pretty horse fight against the scary monster. You both protected us."  
"See?" I sat straighter. "She's a noble creature."  
"Lay down." Fi commanded, standing and pushing me down, but I resisted.  
"I'm not hurt." I swung my legs out behind her and stood up, my hand on her shoulder. I leaned in very quickly and whispered to her, "You can take care of me later."  
A shiver ran through her that I felt.  
I got myself dressed in my cleaned clothes, and tied my rope around me. "I'm gonna go out and search for that horse."  
"Eat first." Hands on her hips, Fi gave me a command I willingly obeyed.

I recovered for a couple days. I felt alright, but I also wanted to spend time with Fi.  
"You're always running around." She said quietly while tending to my wounds that were mostly healed. "I wish you would sometimes take a moment to relax."  
"I do!" I responded too quickly, basically proving her point. "Things have just been... happening quickly, lately."  
"I understand." She finished re-dressing the worst cut on my arm, but didn't look up. "Now, what is this all about the castle?"  
I explained everything to her. I told her about how Zelda's scouts had found me (I was scolded, of course, for neglecting my health) and detailed my time at the castle.  
She agreed with what I'd been thinking: that Zelda _really_ wanted the two of us - now three, I hoped she wouldn't mind - to live at the castle permanently. "If this kingdom is building itself back up, she may want to employ you."  
I nodded, then was reminded of Link. "Her knight still didn't seem to like me that much by the time I left, but I'm sure he'd get over it if I was given a position under him."  
Vaati wandered in near the end of our conversation, with a companion: the young daughter of the innkeeper. He gave us a desperate expression.  
"Made a friend?" I swung my legs off the bed and stood. Though stiff, I felt a lot better.  
The tiny child was clinging to Vaati's tattered cape, tugging at it. "Mister Vaati, tell me more stories! I wanna hear more!"  
Fi and I both smiled, but Vaati grimaced. "She... won't leave me alone."  
"Little one," Fi stooped toward her. "Why don't you go find Mister Vaati some flowers? His favorites are white ones."  
Her eyes lit up and her arms fell to her sides. "Okay!" Her impossibly small voice cracked and she suddenly scampered off into the nearby wooded area.  
Vaati sighed deeply and bent over nearly in half. "Thank you. I'm not... much good with children."  
"Seems the opposite to me." I walked by him and nudged his elbow lightly before stepping out into the sun. "Don't push against everything so hard, Vaati. Sometimes you just gotta let stuff happen to you." I turned my head and smiled.  
He was only looking at me out of the corner of his eye, but I swore I saw a smile. "White is okay, but I prefer purple flowers." He mumbled it in a way that only half seemed like he was trying to hide it. I could hear a smile in his voice.  
Fi took my hand and led me around the tented building to the large grazing field behind it. The horses had been let out, and Fi's stag was meandering among them.  
"He's so tame." I remarked, reaching out to pet him.  
He reacted only by looking at me with a single dark eye before returning to grazing. His fur was coarse and wasn't very nice to pet, but I still liked him.  
"I found him injured." Fi suddenly confided, her brow furrowing. She stood next to me and gave him a few pats. "It seemed like a monster had tried attacking him... I could see him abandon his resolve as I approached him. He must have thought I was another predator."  
"Deer can die really easily just from fear." I frowned, remembering tales from my travels. Fawns could be rehabilitated rather easily, but adult deer were dangerous to handle and prone to shock.  
"No more difficult than taming a wild horse, I'm sure." She gave me a knowing smile.  
I shrugged. "Wouldn't know. I haven't been able to tame a deer."  
"...Would you want to go for a ride?" She suddenly asked, glancing back to the shed where all the tack had been laid. "A careful one. A relaxing one."  
Of course I agreed, in the form of sprinting back to the inn to ask for permission to use a horse.

All the horses had gotten used to the strange animal's presence, so the mare I'd been loaned didn't mind walking beside Tiliron at all. The four of us stayed at a slow pace as we explored the surrounding hills of the Akkala region. The red and gold leaves shone bright in the early afternoon sun.  
I had taken my bow and rope, but nothing else too heavy. I suddenly wondered aloud if it was alright to leave Vaati back at the stable.  
"He seems fine." Fi didn't sound worried. "It's almost like he's trying to reform himself."  
"In the laziest way possible." I rolled my eyes. "But I'm glad you're not angry."  
She cocked her head.  
"About giving him a chance, I mean. Like... you know everything he did to me. To us."  
"Oh." She smiled and turned her attention forward again. "Of course I'm not angry. In fact, I'm proud of you."  
Before I could respond, I was looking at her back as she surged ahead of me. I spurred my horse to catch up.  
We came over a rise in the land and stopped to admire the valley below. It was sprawling and dotted with small trees.  
"I love this region." Fi said almost dreamily. A breeze had picked up and lightly fluttered her cape. "I didn't mind staying here for as long as I did, waiting for you to come by."  
"And I wish I came way sooner." I took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. I had barely been able to get out of the inn while I was "recovering". My guardian tended to be very over-protective.  
"Well, such is fate." Fi shrugged. "We are here now, together once more."


End file.
